KAAP400

When you start a research project, background research can help you:

• Understand the size and scope of a potential topic
  • If your topic is too broad, finding articles that directly address your interests will be challenging
  • If your topic is too narrow, you may not find enough research
• Find subtopics that interest you
  • This will help you focus your research question
• Learn key terminology for the topic
• Identify influential researchers and articles about the topic 
• Discover highly-cited sources about the topic

A general online search (Google!) is often a good place to start to find background information about your topic. While searching, considering the terminology used to discuss the topic -- you may need these terms when we search later. Also, consider searching a database such as Cochrane Library to identify systematic reviews to find a critical appraisal research studies on a particular topic.