Gathering background research helps you understand the issues, terms, and vocabulary surrounding your topic more clearly. Here's some databases to conduct pre-research on your topic:
Concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects.
Very Short Introductions can change the way you think about the things that interest you, and are the perfect introduction to subjects you previously knew nothing about: from Climate to Consciousness, Game Theory to Ancient Warfare, Privacy to Islamic History, Globalization to Literary Theory. Very Short Introductions online bringing together titles from this well-known and established print series, via a highly discoverable and fully cross-searchable platform.
Multi-part database of the online versions of seminal Oxford University Press texts. Each topical division contains the searchable version of the latest edition of published dictionaries and encyclopedias. Additionally, information about Oxford University Press is provided. New works will be added yearly and online texts will be updated after new editions of the print monographs are published.
In-depth, peer-reviewed summaries on a range of topics.
With today’s overabundance of information, and misinformation, students and researchers alike can be overwhelmed in identifying what’s trustworthy, what’s up-to-date, and what’s accurate. Oxford University Press has invested in the Oxford Research Encyclopedias to meet this challenge. Working with international communities of scholars across all fields of study, we are developing new comprehensive collections of in-depth, peer-reviewed summaries on an ever-growing range of topics.
The Advanced World Book Web includes Primary source documents, E-books, Encyclopedia articles, Images, as well as links to articles and websites.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context is a full-text resource covering today's hottest social issues, from Terrorism to Endangered Species, Stem Cell Research to Gun Control.
Drawing on acclaimed series published by Greenhaven Press and other Thomson Gale imprints, Opposing Viewpoints in Context brings together all the information that's needed to fully understand an issue: pro and con viewpoint articles, reference articles that provide context, full-text magazines, academic journals, and newspapers, primary source documents, government and organizational statistics, multimedia, including images and podcasts, links to hand-selected web sites, and more.
Points of View Reference Center is a full-text database designed to provide students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. The database provides 250 topics, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument), counterpoint (opposing argument), and Critical Thinking Guide. The database also offers guides to debate, developing arguments, and writing position papers.
Hint: You can also skim Google, Google Scholar, and Wikipedia (but don't use it as a source!).