Background Research Getting Started With Research Library Guides At

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 10:56 PM

background research getting started with research library guides at

When getting started with your research, it is a good idea to get a general overview of a topic or gather background information. This information can help you decide if the topic really is in line with your thinking, and whether you want to continue researching in that subject area. Background information may include facts, historical figures, timelines, definitions, origins, theories, events, and more. Reference resources (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks) are the most authoritative sources for locating general or background information. library@up.edu | 503.943.7111 or 800.841.8261 | 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798 Copyright © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) University of Portland, All Rights Reserved | Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

Background research helps you understand your research question fully and makes searching easier. This page will take about 5-10 minutes. The video and text content cover the same information. Background research is the exploratory research that you do before you start writing your paper or even finding the sources you'll cite. The purpose of background research is to set you up for success with a refined research question and knowledge about the context of your topic. Some reasons to do background research include:

Determining an appropriate scope for your research Contextualizing your topic in the broader conversation, both scholarly and popular Identifying experts and other important perspectives Once you have selected a broad topic and have started to generate possible ideas for your research project, your next step should be to conduct some background research. Its okay if your knowledge on a topic is limited at this point, that's what makes the research process exciting! Everyone has to start somewhere and this is your first step.

By picking a topic you are already conducting research. In addition to providing you with important foundational knowledge on your areas of interest, background research can also generate highly relevant information for your project such as what sort of terms and field-specific language... It is useful to think of scholarship as an ongoing conversation. Conducting background research is your opportunity to catch up on what, in general, has been said. Reference sources are some of the best places to find background information on your research topic. Reference, or tertiary, materials are information sources that seek to compile, summarize, organize, or index other sources of knowledge.

Examples of reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, bibliographies, textbooks, Wikipedia, and library catalogs. Doing some background reading at the beginning of your research helps you to understand your topic right from the start. You'll be able to put your topic in context and create research questions that drive your search for information. In addition, when you begin hunting and gathering information, you’ll know if what you’re finding is relevant and useful. You need to begin understanding your topic early in order to know: You don't even have to read a lot of complete books to get this valuable background information.

Reference books, like encyclopedias and dictionaries, are a wonderful place to start your research. The MJC Library subscribes to several online databases that are great for finding background information. Why search here? Use this database for preliminary reading as you start your research. You'll learn about your topic by reading authoritative topic overviews on a wide variety of subjects. 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...

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: A reference work is also known as a tertiary source (as opposed to primary and secondary sources). Tertiary sources compile, summarize, digest, and organize the information in primary and secondary sources to provide background information on a topic. Tertiary sources are typically used to:

Reference works/tertiary sources are not used as cited evidence in papers written for university level courses, unless there is a compelling reason to do so, such as when conflicting information must be acknowledged. More information about primary, secondary, and tertiary sources can be found on the Evaluating Sources guide. Background research paves the way for productive archival research. Use it to get an overview of your topic, to zero in on the details you need to find primary sources, to put archival materials in context, and to help you position your own... Following are some suggestions and tips for finding background sources. You may gather background information from a wide variety of resources.

Some common resources are subject specific dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, text books, and authoritative web sites. Read a general encyclopedia article on the top two or three topics that you are considering.You may also find relevant background information by talking with your classmates, professors, and reference librarians. Starting with a broad summary gives you an overview of the topic to see how your idea relates to broader, narrower, and related issues. It also give you an idea of some of the terms that are associated with your topic. A good place to start is by visiting the Database A-Z list (link below), selecting "Reference Databases" from the "All Database Types" dropdown menu. The resulting database list should include many options to locate background information.

Getting background and some basic facts about your topic is a good way to start. This helps not only get some initial information but helps you formulate the boundaries of your research and key terms for your thesis statement. It can be a helpful guide to begin to narrow down your topic into a coherent and specific area. Generally you don't cite encyclopedias in research papers, but they can: Don't be afraid of the actual print, non-web, reference encyclopedias! Guide content supports the teaching and research goals of multiple departments on campus.

Content represents a non-exhaustive selection of essential resources and tools for engaging a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints. Before you develop your research topic or question, you'll need to do some background research first. Some good places to find background information: Try the library databases below to explore your topic. When you're ready, move on to refining your topic. A great idea can come from many places.

Here are some suggested places to start:

Background Research Getting Started With Research Library Guides At

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Examples Of Reference Sources Include Encyclopedias, Handbooks, Dictionaries, Bibliographies, Textbooks,