Find a variety of information to learn about a topic
Background information -- What's the landscape?
Background information -- What is the landscape?
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Useful background information can provide:
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image citation: Oregon Territory Created by the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1841. OrHi 986847 Available at https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/native-lands/
Like finding a relevant and right-sized map, background information can help you to determine the scope or boundaries of a topic and determine what you do and don’t want to learn or about.
Defining terms and setting context are a good example of how background information can be useful. It's helpful to think about background information as setting you up as the writer/speaker with a solid foundation and understanding of the main aspects of your topic.
Sharing the right amount of background information can give your reader/audience confidence in your understanding of the topic and adds to your credibility or ETHOS as a writer/speaker.
Try searching a single word or phrase -- one main idea at a time -- to locate a working definition or see what's available on a key concept relevant to your topic. For example, you can try each of these types of sources:
Encyclopedias -- to define terms, brief history
Documentary films -- for an overview of an issue
Books -- to see how a big topic is approached, browse the introduction or a focused chapter
News or magazine articles -- to hear what folks are saying now about it
Define key concepts
- Encyclopedias for Background Research This link opens in a new windowA selection of online encyclopedias that provides general overviews of topics across many subjects. Start here to get working definitions of key concepts and a big picture view of your topic.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowTopical, full text reports on controversial issues. Each report features a summary, chronology, and bibliography. Updated weekly.
- Access Science This link opens in a new windowAn online version of McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. It contains nearly 9,000 online encyclopedia articles, terms, images and videos related to sciences and technology. The Study Center provides essay topics, study guides and bibliographies.
- Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new windowMore than 600,000 words defined, including historical meanings, word origins, and pronunciations. Examples of past usage are shown through quotations from a rich variety of English language sources.