Background Information - Research Process :: Step by Step - Subject and Course Guides at University of Texas at Arlington

Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
Gale Ebooks (formerly named Gale Virtual Library or GVRL) provides a wealth of full-text reference and general subject books in a wide variety of subjects.
Sources offered in the GVRL include multi-volume encyclopedias, biographical collections, business plan handbooks, company histories, consumer health references and history compilations. A wide variety of subjects are covered including arts, biography, business, education, environment, history, law, medicine, multicultural, religion and science.
Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies offers exclusive, authoritative research guides across a variety of subject areas. Combining the best features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this cutting-edge resource directs researchers to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects.

If you can't find an encyclopedia, dictionary or textbook article on your topic, try using broader keywords or ask a librarian for help. For example, if your topic is "global warming," consider searching for an encyclopedia on the environment.

Finding background information

Once you have identified keywords, the next step is to find background information on your topic.

Background information serves many purposes:

If you are unfamiliar with the topic, it provides a good overview of the subject matter.
It helps you to identify important facts related to your topic such as terminology, dates, events, history, and relevant names or organizations.
It can help you refine your topic.
Background research might lead you to bibliographies that you can use to find additional sources of information.

Background information can be found in:

Wikipedia
textbooks
dictionaries
general encyclopedias
subject-specific encyclopedias
article databases

These sources are often listed on the "Find Books" tab of our research by subject guides. You can browse a complete list of the Library's guides by visiting the "Research by Subject" homepage.