Background Information
When conducting research, it is helpful to know as much as possible about the topic as possible. An excellent place to gather such information is in subject encyclopedias. A subject encyclopedia will provide what is already know about the topic in detail, explaining exactly what the topic is about, who is involved, where it takes place, when it began, why it is a controversy and how it impacts other issues. Once you have a handle on the facts of the topic, you can narrow it down to an aspect you care enough about to investigate it with an open mind. Below are some suggested topics:
Develop a Research Question
Developing a research question is a process. You will not know your research question until you have done some preliminary research. You must find sources that discuss your ideas. As you learn more about your topic, your question will materialize and take shape. It will also change and shift. This is perfectly normal! Consider using the 5 Ws to help you narrow your topic and develop a research question.
Use the 5 Ws to narrow your topic
The Five W criteria can add context to your investigation and turn a topic into a research question.
- WHO describes an individual or select population you are investigating.
- WHAT describes a specific aspect or element that directly impacts the WHO.
- WHEN is a time frame in which you might limit your investigation
- WHERE is a geographical location where you might focus.
- WHY is the reason why this investigation is important or meaningful. The WHY is not necessarily a part of the final research question but more informative of the scope of the project in general.
Background Resources
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Encyclopedia of Race and Racism
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The Encyclopedia Of Race And Racism, 2nd Edition, provides critical information and context on the underlying social, economic, geographical, and political conditions that gave rise to, and continue to foster, racism. Religion, political economy, social activism, health, concepts, and constructs are explored. Excellent source for most racism topics including the arts, psychology, -
Race and Racism in the United States
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Call Number: REF E 184 .A1 R254 2014 v. 1-4This four-volume set is the definitive source for every topic related to race in the United States. In the 21st century, it is easy for some students and readers to believe that racism is a thing of the past; in reality, old wounds have yet to heal, and new forms of racism are taking shape. -
Encyclopedia of American Political Parties and Elections
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This new volume contains all the material a reader needs to understand the American election process and its political parties. See chapters on African-American suffrage, voting trends; Civil Rights, Congressional Black Caucus, Racial districting. -
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History.
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A comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedia of U.S. political history An essential resource for anyone interested in U.S. history and politics, this two-volume encyclopedia covers the major forces that have shaped American politics from the founding to today. -
Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World
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Examines every effort to end slavery in the United States and the transatlantic world. It focuses on massive, broad-based movements, as well as specific incidents, events, and developments, and pulls together in one place information previously available only in a wide variety of sources. -
Encyclopedia of Free Blacks and People of Color in the Americas
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When Columbus arrived in 1492, the first free black person set foot in the Americas. Over the next 400 years, as slavery spread and became entrenched in the Western Hemisphere, free blacks built communities throughout North and South America, playing a critical role in every region, colony, and country. -
Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice
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Call Number: REF HM1271 .E485 2015 v. 1-2Publication Date: 2014-12-18This encyclopedia is available in print and as a eBook. This encyclopedia contains over 300 entries alphabetically arranged for straightforward use by scholars and general readers alike. Thompson, assisted by a network of contributors and consultants, provides a comprehensive and systematic collection of designated entries that describe, in detail, important diversity and social justice themes -
Encyclopedia of Democratic Thought
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The Encyclopedia draws on every tradition of democratic thought, as well as developing new thinking, in order to provide full coverage of the key democratic concepts and engage with their practical implications for the conduct of democratic politics in the world today. In this way, it brings every kind of democratic thinking to bear on the challenges facing contemporary democracies and on the possibilities of the democratic future.
