Background Information & Keywords-2
Background Information
Doing some background research will help you think about what you are looking for before you start searching.
- What are the main issues?
- What population is impacted?
- Who are the people and organizations involved?
Databases for Background Information
- Opposing Viewpoints Links to an external site. introductions to social issues
- CQ Researcher Links to an external site. in-depth reports on social issues
- U.S. Newsstream Links to an external site. reporting on social issues from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and other major newspapers.
Note: Use your Cabrillo ID & password to access databases.
Websites for Background Information
- Pew Research Center Links to an external site. statistics & opinion polls
- Quick Facts: Santa Cruz County Links to an external site. from the U.S. Census. To dig deeper, visit Census Data Links to an external site.
- DataShare Santa Cruz County Links to an external site. local data & reports
Keywords
Your background research will help you identify keywords related to your social problem. Keywords help to focus your search.
If you were researching the prison abolition movement, some keywords might be:
- Prison, prisoners, prison system, incarceration
- Race, racism, discrimination
- Abolition, decarceration
- Rehabilitation, restorative justice
Once you have identified relevant keywords, use these tricks to combine them for better search results.