IV. Get Background Information after you choose your topic and develop your research question. Background sources can provide: a chronology or timeline for your topic, information about dates and events that are contemporaneous with your topic, scholarly opinions on your topic, keywords and subject-specific vocabulary for database searching, current thought on your topic, and other resources.

Background information can be found in textbooks, dictionaries, general and subject-specific encyclopedias to name a few and can give you ....

A broad overview of the subject
Definitions of the topic
An introduction to key issues
Names of people who are authorities in the field
Major dates and events
Lead to bibliographies which provide additional sources of information.

Some good online sources for background information are:

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