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Research and Writing (RaW): 2. Find Background Information

Guiding you through the process of finding information - from knowing that you need certain information...to locating, evaluating, and effectively using said information.

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2. Find Background Information

Once you've decided on a topic, you should then identify keywords that you'll use while searching. People describe things differently, so you'll also want to write a list of synonyms for your keywords. When you've done that, you can start to look for general information about the topic. The best place to start is in a reference source.

Reference

                           

What is it? Examples: Use When...
A general summary of facts, definitions, histories, statistics, and more pertaining to a particular subject or subject area. Dictionaries, Encylopaedias, Almanacs

-You need a basic overview of a topic.

-You want quick facts.

-You want to better understand a topic, which may lead you to new pathways or subjects.                     

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