Background research helps develop a more effective topic as well as brainstorm for better search terms or keywords.

• Your instructor is a great resource! They understand your assignment and can provide great advice about the topic and how to frame it.
• Come to the DU Libraries and talk to a librarian or chat, email or text a librarian at Ask a Librarian!
• If there are journals related to the general area you are studying, look through recent tables of contents for ideas and background information on possible topics. You can browse our Journals By Tilte list and search for your subject or discipline by using keywords like nursing or marketing.
• Reference books and subject encyclopedias are useful for developing your topic and finding keywords because they contain brief scholarly entries related to a discipline. Search for encyclopedias & dictionaries in the Library Catalog.

Here are a few useful databases for exploring potential topics: