Background research is a critical step if you are unfamiliar with the topic area or are unsure of how to develop/approach the topic.
Sources of background information provide:
- A broad overview of the subject
- Definitions of the subject
- Introduction to key issues
- Names of people who are authorities in the subject field
- Major dates and events
- Keywords and subject-specific vocabulary terms that can be used for database searches
- Bibliographies (references) that can lead to additional sources
