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...
The video below provides some additional information about the process of background research.
The Cook Library subscribes to several reference databases, which primarily contain resources such as encyclopedia articles that provide a basic overview of a topic. The resources you find in these databases are an excellent starting point for your background research.
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.
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.
Books and eBooks are often an excellent source of background information. While you may not have time to read every book you encounter cover to cover before your assignment is due, you can often find useful information by reading specific chapters within a book that relate to your topic. Most of our eBooks have a clickable table of contents that you can use to jump to different sections or chapters of interest. You can also search within an eBook for keywords to bring up specific pages that use your search terms.
You can find both print books and eBooks by searching Cook OneSearch (make sure to check the box next to either "Books," "eBooks," or both in the "Format" section on the left side of your results screen). You can also try searching within one of the eBook databases linked below:
This collection contains a large selection of ebook titles representing a broad range of academic subjects, including arts and humanities, business, literature, social sciences, sciences, and technology. Books range in audience level from basic introductory texts to scholarly monographs. Titles are from a wide range of publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press, MIT Press, Oxford University Press, Sage Publications, Springer, Wiley, and more.
Find books, articles, media, government information, and other library resources all in one place. Search what Towson owns as well as resources at other USMAI Libraries.