Why Start with Background Information?

An overview of your broad topic area helps you "explore the conversation" by looking at different viewpoint from a non-judgmental standpoint.  You can learn the following:

• what the key issues are and how you may want to refine your topic
• who are the stakeholders (the groups or individuals this topic concerns)
• a context of how your topic relates to the other issues that surround it
• a historical perspective on your topic
• specialized vocabulary or search words that are used in your field (you will use these words for searches later in your research process)