Before you dive into a research paper, it can be a good idea to do some background research. This will help you figure out a topic that is interesting to you, and introduce you to the major players in your particular area.
Many people do background research through sources like Wikipedia or general Google searching. You can also use a variety of specific encyclopedias that are available through the MSU Libraries.
Oxford Language Dictionaries Online
Great resource for language dictionaries, including Russian.
The Encyclopedia of Russian History 4 vol. ed. James Millar, 2004. An excellent, though less comprehensive encyclopedia than the MERSH (below). Entries tend to be broader and more thematic than the MERSH. Easy to use online version.
Gale Literature Resource Center
Literature Resource Center provides direct access to biographies, bibliographies and critical analysis of authors from all ages and literary disciplines in a single Internet-searchable service. Its resources cover more than 90,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists and other writers, with additional in-depth coverage of 2,500 of the most-studied authors.
Modern Encyclopedia of Russian and Soviet History
DK14 .M6 Reference, 1 East.
The gold standard in reference books on Russian History. Excellent entries signed by scholars that usually conclude with a bibliography of readings on each topic. A must-use resource for Russian History.
Encyclopedia of Eastern Europe: From the Congress of Vienna to the Fall of Communism
DJK6 .E53 2000 Reference 1 East
Covers Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania; 1814-1989.
Reference Guide to Russian Literature
PG2940. R43 Reference 1East
Arranged by author's name, and within each section are descriptions of the major works of that author with plot summaries of some of the most important pieces. This guide will list what translations were published in English; particularly useful for short story authors.