Find Background Info - EGL 102 - David Kossy - Fall 2022

Choosing a Topic

Background information provides basic concepts, descriptions and ideas about a subject.

Find Facts in online encyclopedias, dictionaries, or handbooks included in Credo Reference, Facts On File Portal, or Encyclopedia Britannica.

For more sources of background information, use the "Facts & Encyclopedia Online Reference" Oakton Library webpage.

Credo Reference - All Subjects Search This link opens in a new window
Contains dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles.
Facts on File American History Online This link opens in a new window
Spans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history, highlighting the important people and events of the American experience.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Each issue examines a single "hot" topic with comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of every issue. Includes charts, graphs and sidebar articles -- plus a pro-con feature, a chronology, lengthy bibliographies and a list of contacts.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
Database of contemporary social issues with content structured to promote critical-thinking skills. It contains reference book titles, pro and con viewpoint articles, and a variety of periodicals, podcasts, reviewed Web links, images, statistical tables, charts, and graphs.

Where have you looked for background research on your topic?

Google search: 8 votes (34.78%)

Encyclopedia online: 0 votes (0%)

Book: 2 votes (8.7%)

Oakton's Library databases: 13 votes (56.52%)

Total Votes: 23