When you begin researching a topic that is new to you, it can be difficult to jump right into the scholarly literature—or to even find the scholarly literature. Background research can help with that. Background research refers to the exploratory work you do as you formulate a research question in an unfamiliar subject. In this phase of the research process, you might read news stories, browse reference sources in the library, listen to podcasts, or explore Wikipedia. Doing background research will help you understand the conversation surrounding your topic and give you tools to launch you into the deeper, more complex scholarly literature.
Starting with background research is important because it can: