Finding Background Information

A good way to begin your research is to locate and read short articles that will give you a broad overview of a topic. You can find these articles in a variety of reference materials. Also, these resources often provide bibliographies -- lists of books and articles that will allow you to discover what else is available on a subject.

see Duke University website which includes:

General Encyclopedias
Specialized/Subject Specific Encyclopedias
Specialized/Subject Specific Dictionaries
Almanacs
Handbooks
Periodical Articles from Full-Text Databases
Biographical Sources
Other Sources via the Catalog
How to Use These Sources Most Effectively

see also Legal Dictionaries and Encyclopedias - 1 2 3 4 5