LING 297: Introduction to Bilingualism (Pérez Báez)

Like the roots of a tree, background information is not always visible but it does play an important role in your research.

Starting research often means finding an overview of a topic, checking facts and data, checking dates of significant events, or looking up definitions of specialized terms. Reference books can give background information, including the scope of the topic area, noteworthy people, and statistics to help jumpstart your research.

Before you Start...

Before you start any research on your topic, you must develop some background knowledge including facts, dates, and names of important people, places, or theories. Books and websites can provide you with that knowledge.

This is important because:

1. Background sources give you the language that people are using to discuss your topic. You will use this language (look for keywords!) when you start to search databases for scholarly articles and resources on the topic.
2. This "pre-research" gives you a sense if your topic is focused enough. If your initial searches bring back so many results you can't even figure out what the language is, then you should consider narrowing your topic.

Remember, background information is always a starting point for research, not an ending point.

General Reference Databases (library subscription resources)

Open Web (Free) Resources

Books in the library catalog are labelled with Library of Congress Subject Headings or LCSH (there is more info about this on the Step 3. Find Materials > Books page of this guide). LCSH are labels that tell you what a book or item is about. These labels are hyperlinked so that you can find other materials about the same topics!

For example, this is what the Subjects or LCSH look like for the book The Psycholinguistics of Bilingualism:

Search for Subject 'exact phrase' Bilingualism and (keyword/ any field) handbook, then limit to eBooks and Print books under 'Resource Type'

Linguistics Databases with Reference Content

Linguistics Reference Materials

Handbooks, Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries

These types of resources can help you identify a topic for your research, provide useful definitions,  give an overview of a specific issue, help you identify key research in the field, and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research.

• Annual Reviews:  Annual reviews of:  Linguistics, Anthropology, Psychology, Neuroscience, Sociology
• Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language; P 29 .C64 1997 Knight Reference
• Cambridge handbook of endangered languages
• Cambridge handbook of language policy
• Cambridge handbook of pragmatics
• Cambridge handbook of second language acquisition
•  Current status and prospects of the language policies in the world P 119.3 .I563 Knight Reference
• Encyclopaedia of research methodology in arts, language and linguistics; NX 280 .K86 2009 Knight Reference
• Encyclopedia of applied linguistics   P 129 .E527 2013  Knight Reference
• Encyclopedia of Arabic language and linguistics;   PJ 6031 .E53 2006 Knight Reference
• Encyclopedia of language and linguistics; P 29 .E48 1994 Knight Reference
• Encyclopedia of language development
• Encyclopedic dictionary of applied linguistics: A handbook for language teaching
• Encyclopedic dictionary of semiotics  P 99 .E65 2010 Knight Reference
• Handbook of bilingualism and multilingualism
• Handbook of English for specific purposes
• Handbook of foreign language communication and learning  PB 35 .H287 2009  Knight Reference
• Handbook of Hispanic linguistics
• Handbook of historical sociolinguistics
• Handbook of language & ethnic identity
• Handbook of language variation and change
• Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (Vol. 2)
• Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning P 118.2 .H359 2005 Knight Reference
• International encyclopedia of linguistics    online and  P 29 .I58 2003 Knight Reference
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Oxford handbook of endangered languages P 40.5.E53 O94 2018 Knight  Reference  
• Oxford handbook of language production Knight Reference P 118 .O94 2014
• Pragmatics encyclopedia P 99.4.P72 P7395 2010 Knight Reference
• Routledge linguistics encyclopedia
• Research methods in second language acquisition: A practical guide 
• Routledge handbook of applied linguistics
• Routledge handbook of second language acquisition

(Click to Enlarge Image)

Long description of "Using Wikipedia for Research" for web accessibility

In addition to being a great place to start exploring an unfamiliar topic, Wikipedia is considered a tertiary source. Writers of tertiary sources synthesize information from secondary sources and strive to report them in a tone that is as unbiased and neutral as possible. 

Some tertiary sources are cited in academic research and others are not. This practice varies by discipline so contact your instructor or a librarian with questions!

Thanks to IUPUI University Library for allowing reuse of this graphic under a Creative Commons license.

What is considered background information can vary by discipline. If you're not sure what it is or where to find it, check out this YouTube video on primary, secondary, and tertiary sources from Suffolk County Library.

Are you citing background information in your research paper/project? You can always check with your instructor to see if that is acceptable for the assignment or within your discipline/major.