Helpful Background Sources
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Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Online version of Encyclopædia Britannica along Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and periodicals and other reference sources.
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CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Covers the most current and controversial issues of the day with summaries, pros and cons, bibliographies and more. Provides reporting and analysis on issues in the news, including issues relating to health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.
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Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Opposing Viewpoints covers opposing sides of the most current social issues, from Offshore Drilling to Climate Change, Health Care to Immigration. Opposing Viewpoints helps students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more.
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Oxford Reference This link opens in a new windowPublished by Oxford University Press, it is a fully-indexed, cross-searchable database containing dictionaries, language reference and subject reference works.
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Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Gale eBooks (formerly the Gale Virtual Reference Library) is a database of encyclopedias, dictionaries, primary source collections and specialized reference sources.
Browsing through general background sources will provide an overview of various topics and help you formulate your research question. Here are some recommended sources of background information:
