Background Research

Doing some background research gets you in the right frame of mind about your topic. Understanding the vocabulary and the key issues about your topic can help save you time and frustration. Specifically, background research can help you to:

• Preview a topic and its sources
• Identify new search terms
• Uncover new and unexpected information

Finding Background Information

This video from the library's Research Basics Workshop discusses how to use the library's OneSearch tool to find background information.

Background Research Databases

• Gale eBooks has a well covered chemistry ebook collection. eBooks from this database are encyclopedia and other reference titles designed to provide topic summaries.
• Gale in Context: Science specializes in science-based topic overviews. It is a good database for getting new topic ideas and exploring which topics have good source coverage.
• Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints specializes in social issue topics and has a few chemistry-related topics. It is a good database to explore the social perspective of a chemistry topic.