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Background Information

When you start a research task, begin with some authoritative background research. Why?

  • To clarify the topic, finding key concepts, issues, names and vocabulary. This will help you with starting keywords when searching in the databases. 
  • To be able to introduce the topic in your paper. 

eReference and general print reference...

  • Will point to narrower areas of the subject
  • Will provide search terms and keywords
  • Will have bibliographies to lead to additional information and articles

Some suggested eReference sources:

How Do I use Wikipedia?

  • Background Research -- key names, dates, issues, people to use in searching for journal articles
  • Reference list -- links to sources, some journals, books, websites
  • External links -- to other sources, organizations, websites that might be useful 
  • Is the article Locked?Wiki LockThis means it is a controversial website that has had frequent vandalism and is now monitored and cannot be freely edited. 

When do I NOT use Wikipedia?

  • If there are any "warning boxes" indicating that additional references are needed.
  • Never cite a Wikipedia entry in you paper -- academic work never cites any encyclopedic work. Special encyclopedias are a part of your personal background research for overview and to help find other sources. 
  • Click on the "Talk" tab. Are there ratings of quality? Is there a list of what is missing? When the article has a "bad" grade -- below a "B" you shouldn't even look at it.