7.2 Background Research
Learning About Your Initial Idea
Please watch the following 1-minute video that explains how brief background research can be used to help you:
- Understand the scope of your initial topic idea
- Identify areas of the topic that look particularly interesting to you
- Focus your topic
Additional viewing options: Turn on closed captions with the "CC" button, or use the text transcript if you prefer to read.
Sources for Background Research
As noted in the video, background information is often most effectively found in sources that provide a broad overview of the topic, such as encyclopedias. In the library world, we call these "reference sources."
The library has many reference sources, both in print (at the library), and online (via the library databases). On the Articles and Databases Links to an external site. page, change the All Database Types menu to Reference.
Wikipedia Links to an external site. is an excellent resource for background information, and you are encouraged to use it as a starting point for your research. Tip: Use the "Contents" box available for most articles to scan for potentially relevant and interesting sub-topics.
"Background Research Links to an external site." by Steely Library NKU Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 Links to an external site.
"Wikipedia logo v2 Links to an external site." by Nohat for Wikimedia Foundation Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Links to an external site.