Finding Background Information (part of Humanities and Social Sciences general guide)
Finding background information at the beginning of your research is especially important if you are unfamiliar with the subject area, or not sure from what angle to approach your topic. The types of information that a background search in a specialized reference work can provide include:
Conducting a search on the Omni search tool is a great place to find background information. Use keywords of your topic combined with the type of reference work which you would like to locate, such as encyclopedia, dictionary companion, bibliography, or handbook.
Example search on the library catalogue:
The following reference platforms are excellent places to start your background information