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CJ 8150: Advanced Policy Seminar (Artello)

Background Information

Before you can start any research on your topic, you must have a background knowledge about your topic. Books, reference sources, and websites can provide you with that knowledge.

This is important because:

  1. Background sources give you the language that people are using to discuss your topic. You will use this language when you start to search databases for scholarly articles and resources on the topic.
  2. This "pre-research" gives you a sense if your topic is focused enough. If your initial searches bring back so many results you can't even figure out what the language people are using to discuss your topic, then you should consider narrowing your topic.

Remember, background information is always a starting point for research, not an ending point. The sources listed here should not be cited in your final work, and if you learn useful informatinon from them, it will need to be verified from other sources.

Library resources to use to find background information:

Develop Keywords

Before you can begin searching for information, you need to identify keywords related to your topic. Key terminology can be easily be found by scanning:

  • Your research questions
  • Articles found from background research
  • Bibliographies found at the end of books and articles

If you are still struggling:

  • Use a thesaurus to identify synonyms.
  • Find pictures related to your topic, then describe them.
  • Brainstorm keywords with a librarian, your instructor, or a friend.
  • Use a keyword generator.

Tips

  1. Use books or digital resources in the reference collection to get started.
  2. Write down search terms you plan to use.
  3. Note search terms that do not get you any results.
  4. Thoughtfully, play around with the Search Fields. i.e. What if you search for "Criticism" as a Subject instead of a Keyword?
  5. Look at the Subjects or Subject Headings section to find more search terms or to explore a subject you had not considered.
  6. Look at and use the citations at the end of relevant articles/books to follow the research trail of the writer. It could be useful for your research too.
  7. Ask a librarian!