The background information essay is an essay that provides background information on a particular event, entity, or person. It’s essentially the backstory. These essays can provide a necessary foundation of information that is useful for many reasons.
The Background Essay Has Many Important Applications
There are several reasons to write an essay on background information. Some colleges and universities ask students to provide background information essays so that they are able to learn each student's personal story. This may be used to influence admissions, or as a simple getting to know you tool.
In another case, prior to taking on a full research project, a student may write a background essay on their research topic. This may be presented to an instructor, project team members, or research committee in order to gain support and interest in the upcoming project. The background essay may become part of the overall research materials when the project is completed.
As a third example, case studies are frequently done after writing a paper on background information about the subject of the study. Let’s say you are studying to get your Master’s in Social Work. If you are working on a case study about at risk rural teenagers, you might write a background information essay with biographical information on the teens you are studying.
Learning How to Write a Background Paper
Now that you know the particular reasons and backgrounds for writing these papers, let’s explore how to write them. Here are some tips for background writing:
- Limit The Information to Only That Which is Relevant
The information that you include in your background essay should only be related to the assignment at hand. For example, if you are submitting a background essay for admission into a college or university, you don’t need to share the entirety of your life story. Instead, you just need to share the information that shows you have the background and characteristics that they are looking for.
Likewise, if you are writing about the subject of a study or research project, limit information to details that relate to the study or project. Adding additional information can damage clarity and be distracting. If you are concerned, you might look into background information paper writing services.
- Do Not Violate Privacy
If you are dealing with human subjects remember that it is important to protect their privacy. Depending on the nature of your work, this could mean obscuring identifying information, ensuring that HIPAA standards
are met, or obtaining consent to reveal information.
- If You Are Answering a Question or Set of Questions Only Address Those
If your background information paper assignment consists of a question or set of questions, limit the scope of your essay to answering those. On the other hand, it is also important to ensure that your answers are thorough.
- Remember Your Audience And Your Goals
As you write, keep your audience in mind as well as the goals you are trying to accomplish. If you are writing an essay to obtain research approval from your instructor, you will probably want to be detailed and technical. On the other hand, if you are giving background information about a marketing case study, your language will be quite a bit different.
Conclusion
Keep the tips above in mind in the event that you are assigned a background information essay. This can serve as a quick reference guide and resource.
