This tutorial will examine how to: 1) Differentiate between background research and in-depth research. 2) Locate useful sources for conducting background research. 3) Utilize background research to help you refine your paper topic.
Tools with Research Starters, Topic Guides, Overviews, and Explainers
These library search tools (databases) provide research starters, topic guides, overviews, and explainers for some topics. If one doesn't have an explainer, try another!
Research Topic pages provide broad overviews of the topic and include reference works, in-depth articles and graphics to help understand each topic in a wider context and to develop the vocabulary required for further research.
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.
Use this for controversial or pro/con topics. Issues of Interest provide an explainer and sources organized by content type, such as viewpoints, mazarines, and academic journals.
Literary research including overviews, criticism, and overviews, from academic journals and scholarly ebooks. Includes full text ebooks of literary classics.
