So now you have a topic that you want to learn more about. The first thing you will want to do is to locate some general overview and context information on the topic. Let's call this background information.

You will need this information to know what terms to search for in the catalog and in databases, and to more easily read and understand some of the sources you will locate. Early in your research, you will need background information to narrow or focus your topic down to what you most want to read and write about.

What Makes a Good Background Source?

Think about an encyclopedia entry or a chapter in a textbook. What do you really expect to find there?

• Introduction to the basic concepts used to talk and think about the topic
• Definitions of these concepts and also the terminology related to the topic
• Important names and dates related to the topic
• Accepted divisions and sub-divisions of the topic
• Debates and developments concerning the topic

You would expect all of that, and you might also want to see some suggested sources for further reading. In most cases, these kinds of information will get you off to a good start in developing your topic and in locating sources for your reading.