Background Information on a Topic
Books, encyclopedias and reports are a great place to start your research because:
- They're a good source for background and a quick history on a topic: the who, what, where, when and why!
- They can also help narrow down a broad topic and find smaller issues within a topic.
- They've gone through a review as part of the publishing process, so the burden of evaluating for credibility does not rest as heavily on your shoulders!
Some recommended library resources for background information:
- eBook Collection This link opens in a new windowAccess to over 200,000 full-text eBooks, many by academic and university presses published in the past ten years. Good for reliable background information on broad topics.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowSeries of reports on current and controversial issues originally designed to provide background information on a topic for journalists. Good resource for a quick and thorough overview of a topic. Reports also include a chronology/timeline which can be valuable resource for a quick historical overview of an issue.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowSearchable access over 60 specialized encyclopedias full-text.
Current Information on a Topic
Articles from published resources such as newspapers, magazines and journals are a great place to find current information on a topic and subtopics to supplement background information. Hint: Try doing several mini searches on your various subtopics rather than one large search on a broad topic to avoid large results sets (Example: Instead of pollution, try smaller subtopics like deforestation or plastic waste.)
Some recommended library resources for current information:
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowFull-text access to articles out of academic journals as well as general interest magazines with excellent coverage in a wide variety of disciplines. Watch the How To Use Academic Search Complete video.
- Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new windowExtensive list of sample topics on front page leading to gateways of full-text resources including: book chapters, viewpoint essays, news, magazine and academic journal articles as well as some statistical data. Watch the How to Use Opposing Viewpoints video.
- Newspapers - US Major Dailies This link opens in a new windowFull-text access to The New York Times (1980-present), Wall Street Journal (1984-present)Washington Post (1987-present), Los Angeles Times (1985-present), and Chicago Tribune (1985-present)
See our full A-Z list for more discipline-specific article resources (business, communication, psychology and more)!
Library Hours & Contact
Chaffey College Library Online Hours
Spring 2025 (January 13 - May 22)
Monday: 8am - 8pm
Tuesday: 8am - 8pm
Wednesday: 8am - 8pm
Thursday: 8am - 8pm
Friday: 8am-4pm
Saturday: Closed
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Friday: 8am - 4pm
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Monday-Friday: 8am - 4pm
Saturday - Sunday: Closed
Email the Library at library@chaffey.edu
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Chaffey College Library Holiday Closures:
Spring 2025 (January 13- May 22)
Monday, January 20 MLK Jr. Holiday
Friday, February 14 Presidents Day Holiday
Monday, February 17 Presidents Day Holiday
Monday-Friday, March 17-21 Spring Break
Monday, March 31 Cesar Chavez Day Holiday
See the Chaffey College Academic Calendar for additional information
