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Learning about Topics
Without knowing a significant amount about a topic, it is hard to work with it. Background sources - mainly reference works that can be found in the reference section of the library or online - can quickly provide a great deal of information on many topics.
What to look for
General encyclopedias
General encyclopedias cover a wide range of topics, but none in depth. They are useful for overviews but are often unsuitable for scholarly research.
Subject-specific encyclopedias
Subject specific encyclopedias cover particular disciplines or topics such as history or terrorism and usually provide more information about a topic than a general encyclopedia would. Articles are usually written by scholars and often include bibliographies.
Where to look
What to look for
Almanacs
Almanacs provide quick access to factual and statistical information. Many almanacs are updated annually: Use recent editions for current information and older editions for older information.
Where to look
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Questions you can ask:
What's beyond the title?
To find: assisted suicide
Also look for:
What's related?
You won't find
The Encyclopedia of Plato,
But you will find an
Encyclopedia of Philosophy with information about Plato.
What terms are useful?
Keep a list of useful concepts, terms and names. Later, you can use them to search other resources for useful information.
What bibliographies are available?
These are lists of relevant resources that will point you to some of the best work on the subject.
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