History Research Guide

Background information is introductory information that gives you the context to understand the more nuanced and complex academic research on a topic. Background information is an important step in the research process as it allows you to gain a better understanding of a topic, more clearly define your own research topic, and identify terms and directions for your own search strategy. 

Background information can come from many different sources, but can include the following:

• Textbooks
• Class notes, slides, and lectures
• Encyclopedias
• Dictionaries
• Handbooks
• Manuals
• General topic books

The internet can also be a good source of background information, although you should exercise caution when using websites as they can be less reputable than other sources. When using a website, critically engage with the information and treat it with some skepticism. Use other resources (whether that's other websites or any of the tools listed above) to verify information you find. Look around the website you're using and identify who wrote it, when it was most recently updated, and what purpose it serves - using a tool like the CRAAP test can be helpful in evaluating websites you come across. 

Wikipedia in particular is often brought up as a background source. Wikipedia can be edited by anybody, which leads to possible errors, whether intentional or not. This is why Wikipedia is rarely a good source to include in academic research - we expect that your assignments will utilize more reputable sources, such as peer reviewed journal articles or scholarly books. However, Wikipedia can still be  useful tool when gathering information that contextualizes and provides an overview on a certain topic, such as the key figures, key terms, or basic explanations of a concept. Always verify the information you find with other sources, and check the sources used in the Wikipedia article at the end of the page.