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What Do I Write About? LRC@TCC
Online Sources --
- Use our online handout Need a Topic?
- Use the contents notes of Events
That Changed the World, then check out the book.
- Many of our electronic resources have built in indexes. A good example
is the index section of Issues & Controversies with
topics such as food safety, ivory trade, jury system, or political
asylum. Help buttons are provided in most resources you use.
- Use our online biography
subject guide for sources you can use for ideas.
- Use Internet directories found on our Subject
Guides.
- Use Old Dominion University's Idea
Generator.
Printed Sources --
- Librarians have books that are designed just for the purpose of supplying
ideas for research papers. Librarians also know whether the library
collection contains information on various topics. Talk with your
librarian
or email requests
for topic suggestions.
- Use encyclopedias specific to your subject (examples).
Use the library catalog and do a keyword search for your subject and
the word "encyclopedia" ex. "science and encyclopedia" or "family
and encyclopedia" or "crime and encyclopedia". Use the
index in the encyclopedia to scan the many topics available.
- From Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine: Blood alcohol
levels, fatigue, pregnancy tests, patient education, etc.
- From Encyclopedia of Family Life: Life expectancy,
favoritism, twins, separation anxiety, primogeniture, etc.
- From Congressional Quarterly Almanac: Crop insurance,
bankruptcy, education savings accounts, medical privacy, minimum
wage, religious expression, etc.
- From Encyclopedia of Sociology: Same-sex marriage,
risk, social roles, martial law, inheritance, emotions, belonging,
etc.
- Suggest a famous, or not so famous, person in your field of study.
Use the library catalog and do a keyword search for your subject and
the word "biography". For example, "science and biography" or "women
and biography" or "business and biography".
- From Notable Twentieth-Century Scientists: Alfred
Stock 1876-1946, a German chemist who designed important chemical
instruments.
- From Encyclopedia of World Biography: "Chinese
emperor Han Kao-tsu (ca. 247-195 B.C.) was the founder of the
first major Chinese dynasty for which there are reliable and
fairly full historical records".
- Use the index in your textbook to see subjects covered by the class.
- Browse magazine and journals available in the library.
- Use the bibliography you find at the ends of chapters of books or
at the end of a article.
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