For unfamiliar topics, consider doing some background research to learn more about the topic before starting your research!
Tools for conducting background research include:
Google your topic and see what comes up - look for any keywords to try searching for in Library databases, or any interesting subtopics.
Google may lead you to a Wikipedia page on your topic. Review Wikipedia to learn more about the topic and potential subtopics. But, remember that Wikipedia is not an academic or reliable source to refer to in a research assignment. This is because anyone can edit Wikipedia articles.
The references at the bottom of a Wikipedia entry can be viewed by you and judged on their own merit. Sometimes they link to credible websites such as for organizations, governments, white papers, etc. Use the CRAAP test to evaluate the quality of sources.
General and/or specialized encyclopedias may also be a useful tool, depending on you topic and field of interest. Many encyclopedias can be found online, including sources such as Encyclopedia Britannica. Find various encyclopedias and reference sources via Seneca Libraries.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.