Composition

Resources for Composition I and Composition II courses

Why Conduct Background Research?

To gain familiarity with your topic.

To narrow your topic by finding specific aspects on which to focus.

To provide historical and social context.

To identify experts related to the topic.

There may be a Research Starter, topic guide, overview, backgrounder, or explainer. Even if there is not, you'll still find some information sources.

eLibrary Guided Research This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Type in your topic and look for a gray box at the top of your results list.
eLibrary®—the user-friendly general reference tool—delivers one of the largest general reference collections of periodical and digital media content designed to support every range of users, including middle and high school students, college-prep and college-level researchers, and professional educators. Educators can even search for resources that correlate to state and national standards, including Common Core State Standards. eLibrary’s updated interface and features make research easy. Researchers will find the answers they need from more than 2090 full-text magazines, newspapers, books, and transcript titles, plus a collection of over 7 million maps, pictures, weblinks, and audio/video files.
College (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
Look for a large Overview article above the results list.
Search Everything This link opens in a new window
Look for a boxed entry at the top of the results with a yellow ribbon and light bulb.