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every great research paper is a good, well-defined topic. But
how do you know whether or not your topic is a good one?
General
Rules
- If possible, choose a topic that interests you. There are
few things more difficult than trying to write about a topic
in which you have little or no interest.
- Be sure your topic is neither too broad nor too narrow for
the assignment you have been given. Check your assignment
due date to see how much time you have and the length requirements
to see how much you are expected to write.
- Choose a topic about which there is likely to be information
available in the library and/or on the Internet. You
should do some preliminary checking for potential sources
before you decide on your topic.
- If you are selecting your own topic (rather than choosing
from a list provided by your instructor) make sure your instructor
approves your topic before you start your research.
How
to Find a Topic
There are a number
of different methods for finding a research topic. Depending
on the course you are taking and your specific assignment, some
or all of the following suggestions may be useful:
- Talk to your instructor. He or she may have a list of suggested
topics from which you may choose.
- Talk to a reference librarian. Librarians have a good idea
of which topics are suitable for library research.
- Use sources recommended on What
Do I Write About?
- Read your course outline to get an idea of the themes and
broad subjects covered by the course.
- Scan your textbook(s) and any other required or suggested
readings.
- Talk to friends and classmates.
- Consult general and/or specialized encyclopedias and other
reference books that cover the subject area of your topic.
- Read current newspapers and magazines; watch or listen to
the news on TV or radio.
- Browse Internet search engine sites such as Yahoo or Excite.
Use your library's link to search engines or subject guides
to locate good Internet sites which have topical indexes.
Develop
Your Topic
Once you have chosen
a topic, you will need to develop it into a more specific research
question. In some cases, your instructor may require you
to write a thesis statement for your paper. The research question
or thesis statement provides the focus of your research; when
you are conducting your research, you should be constantly
asking yourself how the information you are gathering helps
to answer your research question or support your thesis statement.
The
following example illustrates the development of a research
question and thesis statement from a general topic.
Topic: Television violence
Research question: What effect does television
violence have on children?
Thesis statement: The depiction of violence in television
cartoons contributes to aggressive behavior among children
who watch these programs.
Is
Your Topic Suitable?
After you have a
well-defined research question or thesis statement, you will
want to test the main concepts against the resources that are
available to you. In the example above, the main concepts are
television violence, cartoon programs, children, and aggressiveness.
To test your topic, you would look up these concepts in
the library catalog, relevant periodical databases, and specialized
reference books.
If you
find too much information, you may need to narrow certain parts
of your topic. If there appears to be too little information,
you may need to broaden your topic or, in some cases, discard
your topic and choose a new one.
For example,
the above thesis statement could be broadened to include not
only cartoons but all children's programs; or you could include
adolescents along with children. If you needed to narrow the
topic, you could specify an age group, for example preschool
age children.
Reprinted &adapted with permission from Ross Tyner's Electronic
Information Literacy
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