Background reading can help you to refine your topic, and can give you context and direction for further research.

There are 2 main sources of information for background reading:

• Your Textbook
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Textbooks

Textbooks can give a good overview of course ideas and themes, as well as definitions of specialized terms and vocabulary. Textbooks also have footnotes and/or bibliographies, which can lead you to additional readings that could be useful for your research.

Encyclopedias and dictionaries have traditionally been used to help students get some background knowledge on a topic, but they are not considered to be scholarly resources. This means they should not be quoted or referenced in academic papers.

The same holds true for Wikipedia. Although many students rely on Wikipedia for research, most professors will not allow Wikipedia to be used for essays and assignments. Arts 1110 students should check with their professor or TA before using Wikipedia.

A good way to guide your reading and note-taking when writing an academic paper is to ask yourself the following preliminary questions:

• What information is needed to develop the topic?
• What are the important issues related to this subject?
• Who has contributed significantly to this area?
• What conclusions can be drawn?

Key Resources
Planning (Invention): Thought Starters (Asking the Right Questions)
How do I know if I am demonstrating critical thinking skills?

University papers are rarely just explanatory. Most research papers and essays have a specific structure, which starts with a thesis statement. This is a declarative sentence that expands your topic from being a general idea into a scholarly proposal, which you will:

• prove;
• defend; or
• expand on in your paper.

A strong thesis statement also expresses the unifying theme of an academic paper. Without the thesis statement, you will not have a clear idea of the type of information that you need to find, and your research will be disorganized and frustrating.

Having a strong thesis statement will also help when you write your paper. The more precise the thesis statement is, the more likely the writing that supports it will be clear and organized.

As you work through the steps of writing your academic paper, you might refine your thesis statement based on the information you learn through your research. This is a normal part of the writing process.

Key Resources
Criteria for Writing a Thesis Statement
Writing a Thesis Statement, OWL Purdue University
Thesis Statements