What Is Background Information—and Why Is It Important?
What Is Background Information?
Background information provides a basic overview of your topic. It helps you understand the key concepts, vocabulary, history, and context before you begin deeper academic research.
It’s like reading the introduction before diving into a book—you get the big picture so you can focus your research more effectively.
Why Is Background Information Important to Your Research?
1. It Builds Your Understanding
Before you can write about a topic—or even search effectively—you need to understand the basics. Background research helps you:
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Learn key concepts and vocabulary
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Understand the context and history
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Clarify what’s already known and debated
2. It Helps You Focus Your Topic
A broad topic can feel overwhelming. Background information helps you:
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See different angles and subtopics
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Narrow your focus to something specific and manageable
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Turn your idea into a strong, researchable question
3. It Improves Your Search Results
Once you learn the right terms and concepts, you can:
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Search with better keywords and subject headings
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Avoid irrelevant or off-topic results
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Save time and frustration
4. It Leads to Better Sources
By understanding the topic first, you're more likely to:
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Recognize credible sources
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Spot unreliable or biased information
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Use evidence more effectively in your paper
Where to Find Background information?
Library Reference Databases
These are trusted sources designed for students. They’re perfect for getting quick overviews, definitions, timelines, and summaries.
Try These:
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CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window CQ Researcher offers in-depth, unbiased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on a wide range of topics including: health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, the U.S. economy, crime, and civil liberties. This acclaimed and award-winning weekly publication provides a balanced view of today's most pressing social, political, and economic issues. Each weekly report covers the given topic in a non-sensationalized manner, and many reports feature a pro/con debate, highlighting both sides of the argument. Access over 700 hot topics with pros and cons for your research papers and projects.
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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.
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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.
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In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window Opposing Viewpoints offers material to support differing views to help develop critical thinking skills on thousands of current social topics in the forms of primary source documents, statistics, websites and multimedia. Find overviews, news, and opinions on hundreds of today's important social issues, including racism, capital punishment, global warming, and voting rights with reference sources, newspaper and magazine articles, scholarly journals, court cases, government documents, viewpoints, maps, images, audio, video and websites.
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New York Times (1985-present) This link opens in a new window This ProQuest version of full-text articles from The New York Times newspaper (Coverage Dates: 1985 to Present) includes local, regional, national, and international news coverage, including archived articles. Alternately, if you are looking for access to The New York Times Online Edition, please create a free library account at https://library.ctstate.edu/nytimes
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TOPICsearch This link opens in a new window Current events database for social, political, and economic issues, scientific discoveries, and more. Full text sources include international and regional newspapers, periodicals, biographies, public opinion polls, book reviews, pamphlets, and government information. View the EBSCO Search Tutorial Video
Credible Websites
Websites that end in .gov, .edu, or .org can be great sources of background info.
Examples:
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CDC.gov (for health topics)
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PewResearch.org (for statistics and social issues)
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History.state.gov (for historical context)
Ask a Librarian
Still unsure where to start? Librarians are experts in helping you find reliable background information. You can chat with us, email, or stop by in person!
Examples of Background Information
Background Info Might Include:
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Definitions of “social media” and “mental health”
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Statistics on teen social media use
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Trends in screen time
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Overview of platforms like TikTok and Instagram
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General concerns about technology and wellness
Background Info Might Include:
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What climate change is and how it happens
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Scientific explanations for rising sea levels
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Coastal erosion and flooding risks
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Examples of cities affected (e.g., Miami, New Orleans)
Common knowledge—facts that are widely known and can be found in many sources—does not require citation. Examples include:
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“The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.”
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“Water freezes at 32°F (0°C).”
Background Info Might Include:
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A brief history of U.S. gun legislation
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Key terms: background checks, assault weapons
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The Second Amendment
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General arguments for and against gun control
These examples show the kind of foundational knowledge students should gather before jumping into scholarly research.
Cite Background Information
Absolutely — anytime you include facts, summaries, or ideas you did not come up with on your own, you need to cite your source. This includes background information used in your research paper.
You must cite background information in these cases:
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Summarizing or paraphrasing someone else’s idea or information
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Sharing specific facts or statistics you found in a source
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Using definitions, historical details, or structured explanations that aren’t common knowledge
Common knowledge—facts that are widely known and can be found in many sources—does not require citation. Examples include:
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“The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.”
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“Water freezes at 32°F (0°C).”
Examples for Students
| Used in | Should It Be Cited? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Background fact: “The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms.” | No (common knowledge) | – |
| Statistic: “6 in 10 teens report experiencing anxiety.” | Yes | (Smith, 2022) |
| Definition from a source: “Mental health is…” | Yes | (American Psychological Association, 2017) |