Develop a Topic
Choosing the right topic is crucial before you begin researching or writing your assignment. To make sure you understand the parameters, ask yourself:
- What topic options do I have? Is one assigned or can I choose my own?
- What is the length requirement in pages or word count? How long should my presentation be?
- Are certain sources required like scholarly journals or books?
- What's the due date? How much time do I have to research thoroughly?
- Does my topic need current information or will older sources work?
If you have any doubts, touch base with your instructor for clarification. Selecting an appropriate, focused topic from the start will set you up for success.
For help finding a topic that interests you, here are some sources that you can use to generate topic ideas:
- Books and textbooks - Check the table of contents, index, and chapter titles.
- Library databases - SIRS Knowledge Source, CQ Researcher, and FACTS on File offer abundant topic options.
- Magazines and newspapers - Skim summaries, first and last paragraphs of articles.
Browsing your textbook's table of contents or a related book's can spark paper ideas. Library databases like SIRS and CQ Researcher have topic collections perfect for initial brainstorming. Additionally, magazine and newspaper articles can provide inspiration through their summaries and key paragraphs. Reviewing these sources broadly at first can help identify possibilities to then narrow down your focus.
Please use the tutorials below and the databases listed to the side to help guide your topic exploration.
Once you have an initial topic idea, you can refine it using the "Topic + Question + Significance" formula from Kate Turabian's A Student's Guide to Writing College Papers:
TOPIC: I am exploring [your topic],
QUESTION: because I want to find out [key question],
SIGNIFICANCE: so I can help others understand [why it matters].
Turabian suggests using this structure to test and focus your question, but do not include it word-for-word in your paper (p. 13).
Remember: The shorter your assignment length, the narrower your topic focus should be. Stuck? Consider:
- What specific subgroup of the topic can you concentrate on? Certain people, places, times?
- Is there a cause-and-effect relationship to delve into?
- Does your topic have an aspect not yet thoroughly addressed in research?
Honing in on a clear, manageable question will set you up to succeed.
The tutorial below can provide a more in-depth overview as well as give you examples of good research questions.
Choosing effective keywords is crucial when researching, as they directly impact your results. The "right" keywords will accelerate your search, while the "wrong" ones can bring it to a standstill.
Before searching, pinpoint key terminology for your topic. You can easily identify relevant keywords by looking at:
- Your research questions
- Articles found during initial research
- Bibliographies from books and articles
If you're still struggling to find keywords:
- Use a thesaurus to find synonyms
- Describe related images to generate terminology
- Brainstorm with a librarian, instructor, or friend
Taking time to identify precise keywords will get your research off to a strong start and lead you to the best sources.
The worksheet below will give you a place to take notes as you develop your keywords and the tutorial can provide a more thorough overview and examples for you to use.
- Keyword Brainstorming Chart The chart has an example of the keyword generation process and gives you space to develop your own keywords as well
Conducting background research is invaluable when starting a new topic. It:
- Gives an overview if the topic is unfamiliar
- Reveals key facts like terminology, dates, events, history, organizations, etc.
- Allows refinement of the topic focus
- Leads to bibliographies with additional sources
Thorough preliminary research provides critical context, reveals the scope of information available, and uncovers sources to propel further investigation. Taking time on this groundwork leads to more informed topics and effective searching.
The databases to the side will help you find the background information and the tutorial below can help give you more information about this process.
