def getBaseRequest(connectionParameters={}, userSettings={}):
    """
      translate the connection parameters, a flat dictionary, to the format used by 
      requests (or other connector), also, translate names to ones used by the datasource.        
    """
    if userSettings == {}:
        userSettings = dict(file_type='JSON')
        print(
            "result format was set to JSON since none could be found or was passed as a 'ResultFormat' in userSettings"
            )
    output = {'url': connectionParameters['url'], 'params': {'api_key':
        connectionParameters['key'], 'file_type': userSettings['ResultFormat']}
        }
    return output
