Race Matters 130: Seeing Race in the Twenty-First Century
Resource Sharing Librarian
Why is gathering background research important?
It's important to familiarize yourself with a topic before you begin doing more specific and extensive research.
Background research will help you:
- Narrow your topic and focus your research question
- Find historical information, trends, agreements and disagreements, related to the topic, and uncovers gaps in your knowledge
- Learn the context of a topic -- the who, what, when, where, why, and how
- Uncover keywords you can use to do more extensive research
- Find additional sources on your topic
Suggested Reference Books
Reference Databases
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowFull-text reports on current issues including health issues, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Includes background information, overviews, pros and cons, and sources for further research. Covers materials published 1991-present.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowOffers full-text access to over 500 highly-regarded titles from 70 publishers. Covers every major subject in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences from the world's best publishers of reference.
Wise Wikipedia Use
- Wikipedia
"The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit."
Tips for Wise Wikipedia Use
- Be aware that anyone can edit entries in Wikipedia.
- Consider it as a starting point for research; get to know your topic and identify important keywords.
- Look for references to reliable, published sources (in the References or Bibliography sections).
- Pay attention to the alert boxes and symbols. "Featured Articles" have a star to indicate their high quality; articles that are in need of updating (e.g. citation needed, newly available information, relies too much on primary sources) will be marked at the top of the page.
- Last Updated: Jun 18, 2024 10:44 AM
- URL: https://libraryguides.stolaf.edu/ramat130
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