Research Skills Center

Once you have identified a topic, the next step is to find background information on your topic. Background info serves many purposes including:

• It provides an overview to help you feel grounded before you start your research. 
• It helps you identify important facts about your topic -- keywords, dates, events, history, and names or organizations.
• It can help you refine your topic.
• It might lead you to bibliographies you can use to find additional resources.

Starter databases:

• simple, browse-able databases meant to help students with background research
• often contain credible reference articles, but can also have viewpoint essays
• a good alternative or supplement to Wikipedia

Best starter databases:

• Opposing Viewpoints- Nearly 20,000 pro/con viewpoint essays on important social issues. Plus references, magazines, journals, statistics and more.
• Gale Ebooks- A database of encyclopedias, almanacs and specialized reference sources.