Research Guides: TSEM 190: Water & The Environment (Haines): Background Information

Science, Technology, and Math Librarian

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Email: ebwhite@towson.edu

Phone: (410) 704-5326

Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science/Studies, Forensic Chemistry, Math Education, Mathematics, MB3, Research Impact, Research Metrics, Science Education

Benefits of Background Reading

When you begin the research process, it is often useful to do some background reading to help yourself get acquainted with your topics. Background resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other resources that provide a basic overview of the key concepts associated with your topic. Background research will help you...

Better understand your topic and the terminology associated with it
Identify important concepts and areas of research related to your topic
Pick out key words that you can use to search for your topic in a database
Refine your topic

Background Databases

The Cook Library provides access to several databases that contain encyclopedia articles and other reference sources. These databases are an excellent place to begin your research.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
The CQ Researcher, published by CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Press, reports a current social issue each week. Reports are approximately 20 pages long and provide background information, important points to consider, charts and graphs, and a source list for further reading.
SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window
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SAGE Knowledge is a searchable collection of thousands of selected ebooks and over 60 encyclopedias and reference works covering many subjects, including Business and management, criminal justice, education, family studies, politics, and many others, and provides unlimited, site-wide use. Terms and Conditions.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
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Selected titles. Gale eBooks provides access to encyclopedias and other reference works covering education, law, world biography, business, economics, other cultures, public health, and more. Terms and Conditions

Web Sources

You can find a lot of quality background information on the open web, but you have to be careful to ensure that the information you find is credible, accurate, and up-to-date. I recommend using Google Advanced Search to search for a specific type of website (.gov, .edu, etc.) or searching within a well-known organization or agency website that researches an area related to your topic. A few such organizations that you may find helpful in this course are linked below.