Finding Background Information
When you have a new project, finding background information on your topic is a great way to learn more about the topic, including major concepts, terms, people, and historical events and decide what specific concepts to discuss in your assignment. Background information can also help you identify keywords for future resources and writing.
Reference works are a great source of background information, as they provide basic, concise information on a topic. Examples of reference works include:
- almanacs
- dictionaries
- digests
- encyclopedias (including Wikipedia)
- guidebooks
- manuals
- textbooks
When using reference sources, note that all reference works are considered to be tertiary sources as opposed to primary and secondary sources. Tertiary sources are not used as cited evidence in papers written for university level courses. More information about primary, secondary, and tertiary sources can be found on the Source Types guide.
Some reference databases cover general knowledge while others cover specialized disciplines. While there are some free reference databases online, the UMass Global library also provides you with access to general and specialized reference resources, linked below.
