Presearch before Research!
It is very tempting to jump in and start searching right away, before you understand the background of your topic. However, finding background information can help you develop a more effective topic as well as brainstorm for better search terms, and in the end, write a better paper. Background research is sometimes called "pre-research" or "presearch" because it is the research that comes before the research you do for your actual paper or project. Presearching 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. This can help you develop a more effective research question and brainstorm better search terms. Some of the information that presearching can provide includes:
- Broad overview of the subject
- Introduction to key issues
- Names of people who are authorities in the subject field
- Major dates and events
- Keywords and subject-specific vocabulary terms that can be used for database searches
- Bibliographies that lead to additional resources
Here are some tips to help you presearch:
- Your instructor understands your assignment and can provide advice about the topic and how to frame it.
- Ask a librarian! We're available in person, via virtual chat, email, and phone.
- Credo Reference has a brief video explaining how presearch can help you better understand your topic. (If you are off campus, you'll need to log in to view the video.)
- Resources like Wikipedia, encyclopedias, and dictionaries can provide helpful overviews of a topic and help you identify key search terms. Databases like Credo Reference can also help.
Note: Because Wikipedia is created through crowd-sourcing, evaluate Wikipedia pages by considering, for example, their references, length, and history (see the 'View history' and 'Talk' tabs).
- If there are journals related to the area you are studying and you're brainstorming possible topics, look through recent tables of contents for ideas and background information.
- Find other background resources in our Subject Guides.
