Why should you search for background information?
Basic facts: The articles you read and cite in your paper will assume you already know the basic facts about your topic. These are the people, dates, places, and laws related to it. You need to know these facts before you read academic articles to ensure you know what the writers are talking about!
Vocabulary: Academic writing may use words and terms for a topic that are different from those we use every day. By researching the background of a topic, you'll learn which terms academic writers use to discuss your topic.
Narrowing you topic: Most students start off with a topic that's too big to cover in a five page paper. By doing thorough background research, you can identify sub-topics that might be easier to work with.
The following Library Resources will help you find Background Information:
Or find information from these reputable websites:
Reference Source: A broad resource for basic facts and background. They offer a good entry point to the basic information you will need to learn as you start to explore your topic.
Reference sources include, but are not limited to, Biographies, Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Atlases, and Handbooks.
The 4 Ws
Guide yourself through your Background Research by answering the following four questions:
Who
Who are the people or groups relevant to your topic? This can include companies or even fictional characters!
Example: If you're writing about video games, this might include gamers, game designers, Hideo Kojima, Blizzard, or even Nathan Drake.
What
What are the major events, laws, controversies, or issues related to your topic?
Example: If you're researching health care reform, this might include The Affordable Care Act, generic drug prices, or access to care.
When
When have major events happened to affect your topic? This can include dates, eras, or even age ranges relevant to your topic.
Example: If you're learning about school uniforms, this might include 1963, the early 2000s, or teenagers.
Where
Where are the places most affected by your topic? Which countries, regions, or states? Does your topic affect urban or rural regions more?
Example: If you're researching the minimum wage, this might include New York City, California, the Pacific North West, or urban centers.
If you need some help getting started...
This video tutorial developed by Sage link will open in a new window, the creators of CQ Researcher, will help you learn the basics of using this resource to conduct Background Research.
Need a little extra help?
Or use the links below to get more in-depth help and information.