Background Information

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Background Information

Whether you are choosing, defining, developing or refining a topic for research, it is essential that you gather some background information. Our Term Paper Starters guide lists "idea" books, fact finders, statistical resources, general and subject encyclopedias, and resources that collect information on "arguable issues". Both print and electronic resources are mentioned in the guide.

Once you have selected a potential topic, the next step is to develop a list of "keywords" to use throughout your research.

Use a general dictionary (REF PE 1620s) to get a clear understanding of your topic.
Use a thesaurus (REF PE 1500s) to collect related "keywords."
Use the Library of Congress Classification System to determine the subject headings related to your topic. This subject breakdown is used in our "Einstein" Library Catalog to produce a list of books on a topic and in the shelving arrangement of all the materials in our collections.
Use a dictionary specific to your field of research. These are located at the beginning of the call number range for that subject in the Reference Area.
Use general encyclopedias (REF AE & AG areas) and subject encyclopedias (see LC classification) to garner additional "keywords." Check our list of electronic databases for electronic encyclopedias.

At this point you will want to form a research strategy statement. This will clarify the issue you wish to research and show you the basics of Boolean Searching, a method underpinning most of the available databases. Also, consider viewing our captioned audio presentation on Boolean Searching to be sure you understand this concept.

Now armed with this strategy statement and list of keywords you are ready to locate books and articles.

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Maintained by Linda Coppola