As you begin your research, learning more about fields of study relevant to your focus will help you create more effective searches. The Washington University Library system owns many general and specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries that provide this background information.
Background information from general encyclopedias such as Encyclopaedia Britannica Online and Oxford Reference Online will provide quick summaries establishing the context, vocabulary, and key people in many different fields. You also have access to many other reference sources both online and in print. Print resources reside in the Olin Library Reference Collection, in the Olin Stacks, and in the reference areas of the other departmental and school libraries.
