
When starting your research, getting a general overview of a topic or gathering background information can help you:
- Explore a topic: learn important terms and concepts, definitions, theories, trends, or key issues.
- Identify more specific areas of your topic that you may want to research further
- Find references to other books and articles on the subject
- Find specific keywords to use in searches
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, or scholarly books are helpful and authoritative sources for locating general or background information on a topic.