Background Information
Background information can help you get a feel for the context of a topic, narrow down a general topic, or simply identify words and terms associated with an area of research.
Encyclopedias and other reference resources are useful to consult for these types of information, and might even contain bibliographies to point you toward more sources.
- EncyclopediasFind background and introductory research in key encyclopedias such as Oxford Reference Online, Sage Knowledge, and Gale Reference Collection.
Books and E-Books
Print books or e-books are useful when you need more context or more detail than space allows in a scholarly journal article. A book might offer you a history of your topic, an in-depth case study, a collection of essays by experts in a field, and more. To find books on your topic, start your search from the library catalog, using "Advanced Search" to limit your results to books or e-books.
- Library Catalog
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Find print and electronic books available from USU Libraries, as well as videos and other materials.
Research Methods
- SAGE Research MethodsLinks over 100,000 pages of SAGE's book, journal, and reference content with advanced search and discovery tools. Researchers can explore methods concepts to help them design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method, conduct their research, and write up their findings.
- APA Handbook of Research Methods in PsychologyIn three volumes, this handbook provides information on tools used in psychology research design, measurement, and analysis. These volumes describe many techniques psychologists and others have developed to help understand why humans, think, feel, and behave the way they do.
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