Research Guides: Ready, Set, Research: Ready, Set, Research!

Background Information

Many students turn to Wikipedia for their initial exploration of a topic. This is fine, but be sure to augment your background research with sources you can actually include on an academic bibliography.

Conduct background research because:

It is a great source of core knowledge on your topic
It can generate ideas on different ways to focus your topic
It can answer research questions you've already posed
It may help you clarify and/or expand research questions.
It often points you towards other sources of information on your topic

The MJC Library subscribes to several article databases that are great for finding background information. Try searching in:

CQ Researcher Online This link opens in a new window
This is the resource for finding original, comprehensive reporting and analysis to get background information on issues in the news. It provides overviews of topics related to health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy in America.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Use this database for preliminary reading as you start your research. You'll learn about your topic by reading authoritative topic overviews on a wide variety of subjects.
Gale In Context: Global Issues This link opens in a new window
Use this database when you want to explore your topic from a global perspective or to analyze and understand the most important issues of the modern world with a global awareness. You'll find news, global viewpoints, reference materials, country information, primary source documents, videos, statistics, and more.
Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new window
This is a great database to use when you want to explore different viewpoints on controversial or hot-button issues. It includes reports on more than 800 hot topics in business, politics, government, education, and popular culture. Use the search or browse topics by subject or A to Z.
Today's Science This link opens in a new window
Original reports explaining important developments in biology, chemistry, the environment, space, physics, and technology. Click on the Topic Index to select a topic to begin exploring.

Using & Finding Books

Why Use Books:

Use books to read broad overviews and detailed discussions of your topic. You can also use books to find primary sources, which are often published together in collections.

Where Do I Find Books?

You'll use the library catalog to search for books, ebooks, articles, and more.

What if MJC Doesn't Have What I Need?

If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the library catalog, use our interlibrary loan service.

Using Databases

Why Use Databases:

The MJC Library subscribes to many databases filled with authoritative articles, book chapters, research reports, statistics, videos, and more from thousands of respected publications. You can search these databases either by topic or for a specific article.

Using the Library's article databases ensures that you're using sources your instructors expect you to use, and you won't have to cull through millions of unrelated Web pages that will waste your time and energy.

All of these resources are free for you because you are a student at MJC. If you're working from anywhere off campus, you'll need to sign in just like you do for your MJC email or Canvas courses.

Find Articles:

You can start with one of our Databases for Background Reading or our Databases Covering Many Subjects. Scroll down below the big Start Your Research Here box to select a Database by Subject, Database by Type, or Find a Database by Name.

You'll find our databases by clicking the button below:

What if MJC Doesn't Have What I Need?

If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the MJC Library catalog, use our interlibrary loan service.