CampusGuides: Background Information : Background Information Basics

Welcome to the Background Information Guide!

This guide will introduce you to sources that you can use for background information.

Background information is the foundational information you must know to create a research question or topic. Background information gives you an overview of basic ideas or concepts related to your topic. It also introduces you to the academic language that experts may use to describe your topic.

Start with these Databases for Background Information

Credo Reference

Reference books including dictionaries, encyclopedias, quotations, and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific reference titles.
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CQ Researcher

A database of in-depth, authoritative reports on a full range of political and social-policy issues extending back to 1923.
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Opposing Viewpoints (Gale in Context)

Pro and con articles about controversial issues. Includes topic overview, primary source documents and statistics.
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Gale EBOOKS

Electronic reference books, including subject encyclopedias.
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Britannica Academic

Complete online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica, including Merriam Webster's Dictionary & Thesaurus, magazine and journal articles, videos, and notable quotations.
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