Haughey's English 102 Guide: Gather Background Information

Background information serves many purposes:

• If you are unfamiliar with the topic, it provides a good overview of the subject matter.
• It helps you to identify important facts related to your topic such as terminology, dates, events, history, and relevant names or organizations.
• It can help you refine your topic.
• Background research might lead you to bibliographies that you can use to find additional sources of information.