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Gathering Background Information: Plan Your Search

Guide created for The Perch media project.

Getting Started

Before diving into your research, it's important to step back and think about your topic and what you may know already and what you still need to know. This page will walk you through developing and visualizing your topic to help you prepare to search for sources.

Develop Your Topic

Before you develop your research topic or question, you'll need to do some background research first.

Some good places to find background information:

  • Your textbook or class readings
  • Encyclopedias and reference books
  • Credible websites
  • Library databases

Try the library databases below to explore your topic. When you're ready, move on to refining your topic.

Find Background Information:

CQ Researcher Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints Sage eReference
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints ...

Need an Idea?

A great idea can come from many places. Here are some suggested places to start:

  • The Perch! Check out the Perch guide for great topic development resources.
  • Class discussions
  • Assigned readings
  • Topics in the news
  • Browse journals in the field
  • Personal interests

Now that you've done some background research, it's time to narrow your topic. Remember: the shorter your final paper, the narrower your topic needs to be. Here are some suggestions for narrowing and defining your topic:

  • Is there a specific subset of the topic you can focus on?
  • Is there a cause and effect relationship you can explore?
  • Is there an unanswered question on the subject?
  • Can you focus on a specific time period or group of people?

Describe and develop your topic in some detail. Try filling in the blanks in the following sentence, as much as you can:

I want to research ____(what/who)____

and ____(what/who)____

in ____(where)____

during ____(when)____

because ____(why)____.

Creating a concept map helps you think about your topic and plan your search strategy. Start with your topic and identify what you know and the questions you have. Concept maps include key concepts, alternative terms, and their relationships.

To create a concept map:girl drawing mind map at desk

  1. Write down your topic or question.
  2. Circle the main concepts
  3. For each concept, list keywords, synonyms, and examples.

If you're stuck, consider:

  • Other ways to describe the concept
  • Opposites of the concept
  • Related genres or overarching ideas
  • Specific examples
  • Relevant people or organizations

Write down any questions that arise. This process generates keywords for a richer database search, leading to better results! Try either of the resources below to get you started!

 https://lib.arizona.edu/tutorials/mind-mapping/ 

Successful searches for information require you to be creative and flexible. The words you use to describe your topic may be different than the words used by the person who created the information you need to find. Challenge yourself (and give yourself enough time) to search, read, discover new terms, and then search again. Research is an iterative process!

Visualizing Your Topic

Creating a concept map can help you begin to think about your topic and create a search strategy. As you begin a project, your topic may evolve, but you need to identify what you know about it and what questions you have. Concept maps include the key concepts associated with your topic, alternative terminology for those concepts, and the relationships between the various aspects of your topic.

To create a concept map:

  1. Write down your topic or question.
  2. Circle the main concepts.
  3. For each concept, list keywords, such as synonyms, examples, and other ways of describing the concept.

Feeling stuck? Here are some questions to get you going:

  • Are there other ways to describe the concept?
  • What is the opposite of the word or concept?
  • Is there a genre/overarching concept?
  • Can you think of a more specific example?
  • Can you think of who cares about the topic? Those names or organizations can be used as search terms, too!

Write down any questions you come up with during the process. Those questions may help develop a more precise topic, or determine different avenues of inquiry around the topic. 

By doing this activity, you have just created a whole list of keywords that can now be used to do a much richer and more varied search of the research databases. This means better results to work with! Good job, you!

Guide Credit

This guide was created with help and input from Librarians Jenay Dougherty, Cathy Cranston, and Max Radl. It was last revised and updated by SLIS graduate student, Reagan Anania in Spring 2025.