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Finding Background Information
Not sure how to start your research? Background and reference sources can help you...
- Gather initial information about a topic
- Get a rough overview so you can decide what areas to research further
Reference books and online tools are great for looking up a quick fact, definition, or date, and they can direct you to more sources.
If none of the suggestions on this page fit what you're looking for, try a search in the library catalog for your research topic and add "reference", "handbook", "guide", or "companion" to see what materials we have on your topic.
Don't underestimate the value of reference materials and sources like Wikipedia to help set you up for future research!
Online Tools for Background Information
The databases listed in this box can help you fine background information. These provide access to short entries on a variety of subjects that will give you some helpful context as you brainstorm issues to explore further.
- Credo Reference Academic Core This link opens in a new window
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- What's included? Hundreds of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 200,000+ images and audio files, and nearly 200 videos.
- Oxford Reference Online Premium This link opens in a new window
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- What’s included? Brings together selected reference works from Oxford University Press into a single cross-searchable resource.
Recommended Books and Ebooks
To give a sense of some of the education handbooks and guides available to you, check out the list below! Remember that if these aren't quite what you're looking for, you can search for other materials using URI Libraries Search.
Handbook of Education Policy Studies by Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9789811383465Publication Date: 2020This handbook provides an interdisciplinary and international analysis of contemporary education policy. It draws from historical and comparative perspectives to access current educational polices and the research/critical thinking that goes into developing them.
The SAGE Handbook of Inclusion and Diversity in Education by Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9781526435552Publication Date: 2019This handbook examines policy and practice from around the world with respect to broadly conceived notions of inclusion and diversity within education.
The SAGE Handbook of Comparative Studies in Education by Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 1526484625Publication Date: 2019This handbook discusses the ways in which education has developed in the last few decades, how technology has evolved to help with that, and how the exchange of information has changed. It examines empirical research to investigate how teaching and learning frameworks has evolved to address these changes.
The Wiley Handbook of Educational Supervision by Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 1119128285Publication Date: 2019This handbook introduces current research, theory, and applications of supervision within education. It discusses overall educational leadership and teacher preparation to help teachers prepare to apply theory to practice in preK-12 schooling.
Handbook of Educational Reform Through Blended Learning by Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9789819962686Publication Date: 2024This handbook provides related theories, methods, strategies, and practical cases for implementing education reform through blended learning in curriculum, program, and institutions in the digital age.
