Before you dive into detailed research, it helps to build a solid foundation with background information.
Reference sources such as encyclopedias, handbooks, and specialized dictionaries provide clear summaries of key concepts, people, events, and debates related to your topic. This kind of information helps you understand the broader context, identify important terms and keywords, and discover scholars or organizations that shape the discussion.
Using background sources early in your research saves time later by pointing you toward more focused books, articles, and primary sources, and helping you refine your research question into one that is clear and manageable.
You can use Esearch to find background information from online reference sources.
1. Go to Esearch and type in your search terms. The example below shows a search for materials about the Cold War.
Important: Make sure you are searching for "Everything.".
2. Review the options to refine your search results on the left-hand side of the screen. Find the "Content Type" section.
3. Select the content type “Reference Entries.”
4. Click the Apply Filters button.
The list of results will be articles and book sections from online reference books available through the EMU Library.