Background information provides a general overview of a research topic, including important terms and concepts, relevant names of people or places, and dates of specific events, etc. Finding background information can help you:
- Explore a topic: find out what has been said about this subject, trends, issues, etc.
- Identify more specific areas of your topic that you may want to research further.
- Identify and define unfamiliar terms or people in your reading
- Find references to other books and articles on the subject
- Find specific keywords to use in online searches