Find Background Information
Once you have a general idea about what you want to research, you might need a little help to create your thesis question (that is, exactly what you want to know about this specific topic). Try browsing through some background resources such as the following:
- Encyclopedias;
- Dictionaries; and
- Thesaurus (a resource that offers synonyms and other words that are relevant to one of your keywords).
These are great sources of general information about your topic and related topics. Write down key terms from these resources that you might not have thought of using in a search, and don't forget to look at the bibliography and references for each encyclopedia article that you read!
What are background resources?
Once you have a general idea about what you want to research, you might need a little help to create your thesis question (that is, exactly what you want to know about this specific topic). Try browsing through some background resources such as the following:
- Encyclopedias;
- Dictionaries; and
- Thesaurus (a resource that offers synonyms and other words that are relevant to one of your keywords).
These are great sources of general information about your topic and related topics. Write down key terms from these resources that you might not have thought of using in a search, and don't forget to look at the bibliography and references for each encyclopedia article that you read!
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Credo Reference is a general knowledge database providing articles, images, charts, maps and other materials on thousands of topics. With 750+ searchable, full-text titles, Credo Reference places particular emphasis on subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and reference handbooks. Also included are more than 1,100 short reference videos, more than 475,000 high-resolution art images, photographs, and maps across all subject areas.
- Encyclopedia Britannica Academic - Norwalk Campus This link opens in a new window Britannica is a well-respected brand and has a long tradition of providing accurate and educational information on just about any subject you can think of. We pride ourselves in encouraging all our customers, young and old, to discover more about the world we live in.
- Very Short Introductions Online This link opens in a new window Oxford's Very Short Introductions offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects. Each volume provides provocative, balanced, and complete discussions of the central issues in a given topic, giving a readable evolution of the subject in question. This includes free access to subject related blogs and podcasts.
Environmental Studies
Dictionary of Environmental Science and Technology by Includes in-depth entries on scientific and technical terminology associated with environmental protection and resource management.
The Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management, Blackwell Science by Provides a complete guide to the core definitions and issues associated with pure and applied ecology.
Handbook of Global Environmental Politics by Consisting of original articles by leading scholars of global environmental politics, this landmark work maps the latest theoretical and empirical research in this young and growing field.
A Handbook of Globalisation and Environmental Policy by State-of-the-art examination of the critical effects of globalisation on environmental governance.
International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics by The essential reference source to enable all those with an interest in the politics of the environment to explore topics in international environmental politics.
The Princeton Guide to Ecology by A concise, authoritative reference to ecology's major subjects and key concepts.
The Environmental Debate: A Documentary HistoryThis unique collection of primary documents examines the evolution of concern about environmental degradation, pollution, and resource conservation in America from the Colonial period the present.