Sources of Background Informaton
Even if you feel you know almost everything you need to know about your topic, you should begin by reading an authoritative review of your subject. This allows you to check the comprehensiveness and accuracy of your personal information. You may find new information or discover areas of the topic you hadn’t considered.
The review also can help you focus your topic by pointing out the most important ideas. Review articles are found mainly in encyclopedias and specialized dictionaries, housed in the reference section of the library. On the Internet, go to The Page Site (http://www.thepagesite.com/encycl_p.htm) for links to most of the encyclopedias online. General encyclopedias, such as Encyclopaedia Britannica (http://www.eb.com/), contain background information, specify key words to use in your search for in-depth information, and often list references for additional research. The articles are brief and written in lay language. Specialized encyclopedias, such as the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, cover specific topics in greater detail. Specialized dictionaries, available on diverse subjects ranging from American slang to zoology, provide more than definitions and pronunciations. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary presents the origin, meaning, and history of English words.
Tags: Reference