LibGuides: BUS 1010: Introduction to Higher Education: Getting Started

Background Information

Starting a research project is challenging when you don’t yet know much about the topic. Invest some time in conducting preliminary research in reference sources. Even Wikipedia can provide an overview of a topic but should be read with a critical lens. These background sources likely won’t be included in your research paper, but they will help you focus your research question.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference is an ideal starting point for research with curated, authoritative reference sources that provide a firm foundation for understanding a topic.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Non-scholarly reports and analysis on issues in the news. Reports are written by journalists and professionally fact-checked. Each report includes an introductory overview, background and timeline, assessment of the current situation, tables and maps, a pro/con debate, and a list of further reading.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
Contains contextual information and opinions on hundreds of today's hottest social issues. Features continuously updated viewpoints, topic overviews, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. You can search a single eBook or across an entire eBook collection.
The collection contains the following subjects: art, biography, business, education, environment, history, information and publishing, law, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, nation and world, religion, science, social science, and technology.

Focusing Your Topic

Picking a research topic can be challenging for some students. This video (1 minute 54 seconds) from Washtenaw Community College can help you tap into your interests and expertise to explore compelling research topics.

"Choosing a Topic" by Washtenaw Community College Library is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Popular, Trade, and Scholarly Sources

This video (4:00) explains the difference between popular information sources like newspapers, magazines, and trade journals, and scholarly journals.

University Library

BUS 1010: Introduction to Higher Education

Background Information

Focusing Your Topic

Popular, Trade, and Scholarly Sources