Skip to content

Background

Your Use of the Source About This Use Example Where it is Commonly Used
Background Background information is uncontested, authoritative, non-controversial information.

When background information is ”common knowledge,“ it does not need to be cited. Remember that “background” is contextual. If you are in a game theory class, you may assume that the “prisoner’s dilemma” is common knowledge. If you are in a nursing class, that is less likely.		 Examples: encyclopedia articles, overviews in books, statistics, and/or historical facts. Introduction; Literature Review

Tip

Note that your paper may not include a "literature review." Most published scholarly articles will include a literature review section, often located between the introduction and the research methods.

You will likely only need to include a formal literature review if you are working on a thesis, dissertation, capstone paper, or a paper otherwise intended for publication.

Again, always check with your instructor.