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ENGL 300: Literary Research & Analysis

Let the library be your guide as you research and write.

Salem History

Background Research

What is Background Research?

Research that:

  • gives you a broad idea about what your research topic is about
  • provides information about specific terms used in the topic
  • provides information about key people, places, and dates relevant to your topic

This information can help you effectively search for information on your topic.

This is a link to the Background Research tutorial video available at https://library.campbell.edu/tutorials/background-research/

 

 

 

 

 

There are many different sources for Background Research:

Encyclopedias

General Encyclopedias

  • These are designed for general readers and contain information on a variety of topics (e.g. Encyclopedia Britannica, World Book)

Subject Encyclopedias

  • These focus on one field or topic, such as religion, psychology, or African American history (e.g. Encyclopedia of Psychology)
Books on the topic
  • books can provide a good overview of the topic, and their lists of sources can point you to resources that you can use
Podcasts

  • There are many good podcasts that can give overviews on a variety of topics (e.g. Stuff You Should Know)

Wikipedia
  • This online encyclopedia can be a good way of getting on overview of your topic.  Very useful for information on popular culture.  Looking at the history of the entries is also a good way of seeing the conflicts that are related to the issue

Useful Resources to Find Background Information