MODULE 1: SELECTING A TOPIC
Sometimes your instructor will ask you to choose your own research topic. Here are some tips to help you get started:
A research topic should be:
- Manageable: Do some preliminary investigative work to see if there's too much (or too little) information on the topic you've selected.
- Related to your personal interests: Choose a topic related to your personal interests. It's likely that you'll put more effort into researching a topic that piques your curiosity and more effort can mean a better grade.
Click
here for a worksheet that will help you brainstorm your topic
Try these sources for ideas:
- Your class textbook
- Journals in the discipline
- CQ Researcher
- Subject encyclopedias
- Subject encyclopedias cover just about every topic
- Examples:
- Encyclopedia of Computer Science - REF QA76.15 .E48 2000
- Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine - REF RC41 .G35 1999, available online
- Contemporary Literary Criticism - available online
- Encyclopedia of the Renaissance - REF CB361 .E52 1999
- Websites
