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)!
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Chaffey College Library Online Hours
Spring 2024 (January 8 - May 16)
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Chaffey College Library Holiday Closures:
Spring 2024 (January 8- May 16)
Monday, January 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
Friday, February 16 Lincoln Day Holiday
Monday, February 19, Washington Day Holiday
Monday to Friday, March 11-17 Spring Break
Monday, April 1 Cesar Chavez Day Holiday (observed)
See the Chaffey College Academic Calendar for additional information
