Selecting A Topic

Selecting a topic can be an overwhelming hurdle when you are starting a research paper. To help you, here are some basic things to consider:

Understand the assignment. You want to do well, so don't select a topic that doesn't fit within the scope of your assignment. If you're ever in doubt, ask the professor if your topic is acceptable.
Select a topic that interests you. Why should a research paper be torture? Pick something you are interested in or a hobby so the research is enjoyable.
Be original. Reading 30 or 60 papers on the same topic can be tedious for your instructor. Stand out in the crowd, and select an original topic or an original stance on an old topic.

Sources for Ideas

Ideas for topics can come from a number of places. Here's a list to get you started:

Your textbook. Since a textbook can nicely provide an overview of topics, scan your textbooks for ideas. You can also get a good start on your research by looking at the bibliography for any chapter you find interesting.
Reference Books. Browse the call number area for an interesting subject area in the Reference Collection (3rd floor). You will find encyclopedias that explain subjects and identify subtopics. You may come up with a subject from a different perspective by looking in the index to see how topics relate. To locate reference books or the right call number area to browse, just ask for help at the reference desk.
Magazine/Journal Articles. Browse through the current periodicals to locate a topic. If you already have a topic in mind, search the standard indexes (such as Academic Search Elite) to see what is being written on your topic.
Check Web Sites. Several web sites can help you locate a topic or identify a subtopic of interest.

Web Site	Helpful topics:
Speakout.com	Current events, political issues, government, elections,
CQ Researcher	Current Events, political issues, social issues, government
Healthfinder.gov	Health, medicine
Medline Plus	Health, medicine
Edsitement	Humanities, art, literature, music
Voice of the Shuttle	Humanities
Science in the Headlines	Science

Identify Keywords

Keep track of the words that are used to describe your topic.

Look for words that best describe your topic.
Using Keywords

Once you have identified the keywords for your topic, you are ready to begin searching. You can easily search using one of your keywords, but this is not often practical because you will want to focus on a specific aspect of the topic. For example, you can type in snowboarding and get plenty of articles, but will they really be on your topic?

To improve your chances of finding resources that are most closely related to your topic, you will want to combine your searches with an AND.

Example: identity theft and prevention

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