You probably already know a little something about the topic you chose, but it's important to find out more in order to write an intelligent research paper and/or make a good argument.
Ask yourself:
Reference resources help you find out more!
Library Research Guides lead you to the best resources to use when searching for information on your topic.
Always check to see if there's a Research Guide on your topic.
• Look up your keywords in the indexes to subject encyclopedias.
• Read articles in these encyclopedias to set the context for your research.
• Note relevant items in the bibliographies at the end of the encyclopedia articles.
• Additional background information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings.
Here are a few library resources to help you gather background information for your topic:
Reference Sources 
Once you have chosen a topic for your paper, use general reference sources to get background information on your topic. Reference books such as the encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks, and the current issue titles are a good starting point for your research because they help you become better acquainted with your topic.
See the lists below for some selected reference sources available online and in print. Ask a librarian if you need help finding more resources.
Online reference resources require login for off-campus use. Enter your Cerritos College login when prompted. For more login information see the Database Login page.
Here are some of the library's online reference resources which can help you get some background information on your topic. These resources are available on and off campus.
Here are some reference books that are located in the library's Reference area. Although they cannot be checked out, students are able to photocopy pages.
American Women in Technology by
A diverse compendium of biographies of leading American women in the field of technology.
Encyclopedia of Gender in Media
The media strongly influences our everyday notions of gender roles and our concepts of gender identity. The Encyclopedia of Gender in Media critically examines the role of the media in enabling, facilitating, or challenging the social construction of gender in our society. The work addresses a variety of entertainment and news content in print and electronic media and explores the social construction of masculinity as well as femininity. In addition to representations of gender within the media, we also analyze gender issues related to media ownership and the media workforce. Despite an abundance of textbooks, anthologies, and university press monographs on the topic of gender in media, until now no comprehensive reference work has tackled this topic of perennial interest in student research and papers.
Gender: Matter
Approaches matter not only from a scientific perspective but also from a humanities and social science perspective, asking what role matter plays in feminist, queer, and other social and political theories. Also grapples with how changes to matter, or the biophysical world, affect what sex and gender may mean in the twenty-first century
Revisiting Gender
Revisiting Gender examines the changing role of women and men in shaping American life in education, work, and public and private life. This collection begins with articles covering the status of girls and boys in public education. Studies reveal a change in the gender divide with girls raising the bar on success rates in the classroom. The ratio of men to women in politics continues to shine a light gender perspectives of both politicians and voters. This chapter looks to the most interesting stories on the dynamics of gender on the state and national level. Another chapter will cover the status of women and gender equality in the corporate realm, a subject much covered in the last year. In our media-rich society, the power of images continues to be a fascinating subject on how gender is represented. The final chapter turns to the dynamics of home life, questioning the roles women and men hold in traditional and non-traditional forms.
Social Issues in Science and Technology by
A thought-provoking compendium exploring differing views, possible social impacts, and government policy decisions involving the impact of science and technology on human life.
Although you probably started with only a broad idea of what you wanted to write about, after testing your topic and doing background reading you should be able to narrow your focus and write your thesis statement. Here are two examples of narrowing a broad topic to come up with a thesis statement:
Gender Discrimination
Artificial Intelligence