Did you know that there are specialized almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference resources on your topic that can provide background information to help you better form your research topic? This guide can help you get started narrowing down your research topic.
You'll see tabs on the left hand side that highlight different types of reference resources like, almanacs, biographies, and encyclopedias. Use the resources listed on these tabs to find background information on your topic. Background information provides you with a better understanding of your research topic which allows you to narrow or refine your topic. Use this information to brainstorm better keywords and search strings for use in the library’s online research databases. There are also tabs on different types of information like, acronyms and abbreviations, statistics, quotations, and more when you need to find a specific type of information quickly and easily!
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information out there? If you are looking for some background information on your topic you might want to try the Gale Virtual Reference Library, which is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Search this online database to find some basic information on your topic. You can also do a quick look-up in Credo Reference.
