Background sources provide basic facts, definitions, and overviews of various topics. Much background information can be found using a basic web search and a critical eye. Useful categories of sources include:
Some library sources are listed below. If you need help, please contact me!
Each academic discipline or subject has specialized tools to find research studies that can be used as exhibits (examples, evidence, etc.), arguments (lines of scholarly research that you can extend, refute, and build on), and methods. If you don't know much about the topic, you can always ask me for help on where to find these kinds of sources. The recommendations below are good places to start because the cover a wide range of topics.
Search the web for articles, books, theses, and other sources spanning many disciplines. Many results will be from scholarly sources. Access full-text articles from your search by selecting the FullText@NAU link. To see the FullText@NAU links in Google Scholar from any computer anywhere, link your Google Scholar account to NAU.