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PO 408- Senior Seminar: Reference/Background Sources

Web Resources Selected by Professor McLean

Reference/Background Sources

Please remember that subject-specific reference sources provide background information on topics.  They were written by experts in the field and use the terminology or language of that discipline.  The bibliographies are valuable because they identify some of the classic research on the topic.  These resources may include:

  • definitions
  • overviews
  • facts & dates
  • legislation
  • statistics
  • bibliographies 

 

The reference collection of the Arnold Bernhard Library can provide you with a starting point for your research, as well as background information and suggestions for further study. Subject-specific dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, and statistical sources can serve as a guide to the topic of interest.

   Articles in subject-specific encyclopedias are written by scholars in the field and present an overview of a topic. Not only does the article add to your knowledge of the subject but it may also help you outline your approach to the research (check the subject index at the end of the set, too) and introduce you to more specific aspects of a general, broad topic. The article may also provide you with other keywords that are used to describe your topic. In turn, as you build your vocabulary of keywords for your research topic, you will then incorporate them into your search strategies in the databases.  Most articles will have a bibliography to suggest further reading, many times citing the classic research in the field.

These sources can be in electronic copy or paper copy.  There are many other reference materials that may be helpful and save you time.  Please just ask for suggestions.

CQ Researcher: Overviews of Current Issues in the News

CQ Researcher provides weekly, balanced summaries of current issues.  Each article has a table of contents for easy navigation.  A chronology is included which highlights the development of the topic over time.  

This is a sound resource to obtain general background on a topic but it is not a scholarly source. The RSS feed below shows the ten most recent article titles.

Click on View Website below to enter the full CQ Researcher database.

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Selected Reference Sources