Backgrounder:MOST
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A MOST backgrounder is a well researched and referenced collection of facts related to a specific topic. They are given in bullet point form with a full reference (or more) so they can be used in many publications. Normally the backgrounder is assigned as a list of factual questions and then the researcher looks for sources for those questions.
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Hierarchy of sources[edit | edit source]
All sources are not the same and just because it is in a book or on the web does not make it true or trustworthy. Sources preferred as answers are in the following order of preference
- Peer reviewed journal articles - get from https://scholar.google.com/
- Government reports
- News stories
- NPO reports
- patents
- the web
Format for web reference[edit | edit source]
Author Surname, Author Initial. (Year Published). Title. [online] Available at: http://web.archive.org/web/20180811212301/http://www3.website/ URL [Accessed Date Accessed].
You can export Harvard style references from Google Scholar and from Zotero.
Example[edit | edit source]
Question: How much PV is expected to be installed in the US in 2016?
- 14.5GW
- Solar Energy Industry Association. (2016). Solar Industry Data. [online] Available at: http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-industry-data [Accessed July 31, 2016].
Note the answer is in an incomplete sentence with a properly formatted reference after the data. Harvard Reference style preferred with a direct hyperlink to the data.