Time spent gaining background knowledge will make later research and writing more effective
Essential Questions to Guide You:
- Existence: Does a problem exist? Who is affected? What individuals or groups have an interest in the problem although may or may not be affected?
- Definition: How do we characterize the problem?
- Cause: What caused the problem?
- Action: What should we do about the problem? And what may be the unintended consequences of the action?
- Jurisdiction: Who should decide what we do about the problem?
Helpful Library Resources for Topic Ideas & Background Research
- Access World NewsCovers newspapers and news wires across the world.
- CQ ResearcherFocuses on topics considered newsworthy or issues of broad interest to the general public.
- FactivaCovers newspapers; magazines; trade journals; newsletters; and television and radio transcripts focusing on business.
- Gale eBooksIncludes topical overviews; essays; book chapters; primary documents; specialized encyclopedia articles; and other sources.
- Sage ReferenceA large collection of authoritative encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks in a broad range of fields including multidisciplinary areas such as anthropology, environment, health, and psychology.
- Subject EncyclopediasAccess one of many subject encyclopedias available through Rutgers University Libraries.
Remember...
An encyclopedia is a starting point for research, not an ending point.
"An encyclopedia, whether a paper one like Britannica or an online one, is great for getting a general understanding of a subject before you dive into it. But then you do have to dive into your subject, using books and articles and other higher-quality sources to do better research. Research from these sources will be more detailed, more precise, more carefully reasoned, and more broadly peer reviewed than the summary you found in an encyclopedia. These will be the sources you cite in your paper. There is no need to cite Wikipedia in this case." Wikipedia:Academic use
All sources have to be evaluated.
Learn how to quickly and effectively evaluate sources HERE
Online Resources
Education
National Center for Education Research
Environmental Issues
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
General Encyclopedia and Fact-Checking
Watch the video "Using Wikipedia" HERE.
Interesting and Unusual Research Ideas
International News
Local Issues
Politics
New York Times political coverage
Create your free NYT subscription account by clicking the link in the library website: https://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/indexes/nyt-digital
Science Developments
Social Trends
Technology Developments