Too Broad
Too Narrow
Food Safety
History of organic food labeling of pork products in Portland, Oregon
History of U.S. presidency
Women’s rights in Morpeth England during July 1732
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Get more tips about the research process in this short video created by UNLV Libraries.
Research Process Tips from UNLV Libraries on Vimeo .
A research topic is the main organizing principle guiding the analysis of your paper. The topic under investigation offers us an occasion for writing and a focus that governs what we want to say. It represents the core subject matter of scholarly communication, and the means by which we arrive at other topics of conversations and the discovery of new knowledge and understanding.
Do not assume that choosing a research topic to study will be a quick or easy task! You should be thinking about it at the start of the course. There are generally three ways you are asked to write about a research problem : 1) your professor provides you with a general topic from which you study a particular aspect; 2) your professor provides you with a list of possible topics to study and you choose a topic from that list; or, 3) your professor leaves it up to you to choose a topic and you only have to obtain permission to write about it before beginning your investigation. Here are some strategies for getting started for each scenario.
I. How To Begin: You are given the topic to write about
Step 1 : Identify concepts and terms that make up the topic statement . For example, your professor wants the class to focus on the following research problem: “Is the European Union a credible security actor with the capacity to contribute to confronting global terrorism?" The main concepts is this problem are: European Union, global terrorism, credibility [ hint : focus on identifying proper nouns, nouns or noun phrases, and action verbs in the assignment description]. Step 2 : Review related literature to help refine how you will approach examining the topic and finding a way to analyze it . You can begin by doing any or all of the following: reading through background information from materials listed in your course syllabus; searching the Library or OWWL Catalog to find a recent book on the topic and, if appropriate, more specialized works about the topic; conducting a preliminary review of the research literature using multidisciplinary library databases You can search by selecting " By Subject Area " drop down menu located above the list of databases.
Choose the advanced search option feature and enter into each search box the main concept terms you developed in Step 1. Also consider using their synonyms to retrieve relevant articles. This will help you refine and frame the scope of the research problem. You will likely need to do this several times before you can finalize how to approach writing about the topic. NOTE : Always review the references from your most relevant research results cited by the authors in footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography to locate related research on your topic. This is a good strategy for identifying important prior research about the topic because titles that are repeatedly cited indicate their significance in laying a foundation for understanding the problem. However, if you’re having trouble at this point locating relevant research literature, ask a librarian for help!
ANOTHER NOTE : If you find an article from a journal that's particularly helpful, put quotes around the title of the article and paste it into Google Scholar . If the article record appears, look for a "cited by" reference followed by a number. This link indicates how many times other researchers have subsequently cited that article since it was first published. This is an excellent strategy for identifying more current, related research on your topic. Finding additional cited by references from your original list of cited by references helps you navigate through the literature and, by so doing, understand the evolution of thought around a particular research problem. Step 3 : Since social science research papers are generally designed to get you to develop your own ideas and arguments, look for sources that can help broaden, modify, or strengthen your initial thoughts and arguments. For example, if you decide to argue that the European Union is ill prepared to take on responsibilities for broader global security because of the debt crisis in many EU countries, then focus on identifying sources that support as well as refute this position. From the advanced search option in ProQuest, a sample search would use "European Union" in one search box, "global security" in the second search box, and adding a third search box to include "debt crisis."
There are least four appropriate roles your related literature plays in helping you formulate how to begin your analysis :
NOTE : Most databases have a search history feature that allows you to go back and see what searches you conducted previously as long as you haven't closed your session. If you start over, that history could be deleted.
Step 4 : Assuming you've done an effective job of synthesizing and thinking about the results of your initial search for related literature, you're ready to prepare a detailed outline for your paper that lays the foundation for a more in-depth and focused review of relevant research literature [after consulting with a librarian, if needed!]. How will you know you haven't done an effective job of synthesizing and thinking about the results of our initial search for related literature? A good indication is that you start composing your paper outline and gaps appear in how you want to approach the study. This indicates the need to gather further background information and analysis about your research topic.
I. How To Begin: You are provided a list of possible topics to choose from Step 1 : I know what you’re thinking--which topic from this list my teacher has given me will be the easiest to find the most information on? A teacher should never include a topic that is so obscure or complex that no research is available to examine and from which to begin to design a study. Instead of searching for the path of least resistance choose a topic that you find interesting in some way, or that is controversial and that you have a strong opinion about, or has some personal meaning for you. You're going to be working on your topic for quite some time, so choose one that you find interesting and engaging or that motivates you to take a position. Embrace the opportunity to learn something new! Once you’ve settled on a topic of interest from the list, follow Steps 1 - 4 listed above to further develop it into a research paper.
NOTE : It’s ok to review related literature to help refine how you will approach analyzing a topic, and then discover that the topic isn’t all that interesting to you. In that case, you can choose another from the list. Just don’t wait too long to make a switch and, of course, be sure to inform your teacher that you are changing your topic.
III. How To Begin: Your professor leaves it up to you to choose a topic
Step 1 : Under this scenario, the key process is turning an idea or general thought into a topic that can be configured into a research problem. When given an assignment where you choose the research topic, don't begin by thinking about what to write about, but rather, ask yourself the question, "What do I want to know?" Treat an open-ended assignment as an opportunity to learn about something that's new or exciting to you.
Step 2 : If you lack ideas, or wish to gain focus, try any or all of the following strategies:
Step 3 : To build upon your initial idea, use the suggestions under this tab to help narrow , broaden , or increase the timeliness of your idea so you can write it out as a research problem.
Once you are comfortable with having turned your idea into a research problem, follow Steps 1 - 4 listed in Part I above to further develop it into a research paper.
Alderman, Jim. " Choosing a Research Topic ." Beginning Library and Information Systems Strategies. Paper 17. Jacksonville, FL: University of North Florida Digital Commons, 2014; Alvesson, Mats and Jörgen Sandberg. Constructing Research Questions: Doing Interesting Research . London: Sage, 2013; Chapter 2: Choosing a Research Topic. Adrian R. Eley. Becoming a Successful Early Career Researcher . New York: Routledge, 2012; Answering the Question . Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Brainstorming . Department of English Writing Guide. George Mason University; Brainstorming . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Chapter 1: Research and the Research Problem. Nicholas Walliman. Your Research Project: Designing and Planning Your Work . 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2011; Choosing a Topic . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Coming Up With Your Topic . Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; How To Write a Thesis Statement . Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Identify Your Question . Start Your Research. University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz; The Process of Writing a Research Paper . Department of History. Trent University; Trochim, William M.K. Problem Formulation . Research Methods Knowledge Base. 2006.
Choose a topic, find background information, identify keywords.
You can use a research log to track your progress while conducting research. View some templates below and use what works for you.
The first step in the research process is to decide what you are researching. For college assignments, sometimes your topic may be assigned and other times you will be able to choose any topic you'd like. You can also find yourself somewhere in the middle, where your professor will give you a broad topic or guideline for a topic and you’ll be able to choose where to focus your attention. This can be a great opportunity to bring in your own passions and interests and connect them to what you’re learning in your classes.
Research doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) boring. If you choose to research something you're curious about, you might find the research process much more interesting and exciting. Remember, research is about learning something new and making new connections and discoveries. If you're interested in your topic, your audience will be too.
It can be helpful to think of your topic in terms of a question you want to answer. This can move you towards crafting an argument instead of providing a summary or overview of a topic. Think about where information is missing or where there are gaps in your knowledge. What questions do you have about your topic? If you tell a friend about your topic, what questions do they ask? And remember, your research topic doesn't have to be set in stone before you even start researching. It is there to guide you as you discover sources and information.
Once you've chosen a topic and thought of research questions, do some background research here to get a sense of what subjects are associated with your topic. This step can also be done before you form your research questions, since the background information you find may help you identify some questions about the topic. You can use textbooks, encyclopedias, and even web sources like a Google Search or Wikipedia to get an overview of your topic and help identify important information like terminology, names, dates, specific events, and more. These may not be sources you end up citing in your paper, but can give you some background information to narrow down your topic and search terms.
Below are links to some Library encyclopedias and databases that can help provide an overview of a topic. This is not an exhaustive list - visit our A-Z Databases list and select "Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & More" in the "Database Type" dropdown menu for more.
Biographies of important individuals in United States history. **Limited to 1 user at a time . Please click "Sign out" and close the website when you are done.
Biographies of both modern and historic individuals.
Biographies of important Black Americans.
Weekly reports focused on "hot topic" issues with summaries, viewpoint essays, and further reading.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Public Library Edition.
Online encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books on all subjects, published by Oxford University Press.
Keywords are terms we use when searching for information. Searching in a library database is a little different from how you might be used to searching in a search engine like Google. In a search engine, you can type in entire phrases or questions and the algorithm will be able to parse through that to return the results you want. In a database or library search, you need to be more precise. By choosing your keywords strategically, you can maximize your search to make sure you're getting the information you want.
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Choosing a topic.
Choosing a topic is the first and maybe the most important step of the research and writing process! This step will determine the rest of your steps -- what your thesis statement is, what sources you use, and how to write your paper. So it's important to make sure you choose a strong and engaging topic.
Strategies for finding a topic:
Good questions to ask yourself when choosing a topic are:
When you pick your topic, it's not set in stone. Picking and adjusting your topic is an integral part of the research process!
Sometimes it can be difficult to think up a great research topic. Have no fear -- Taylor Library is here to help! Check out these database and websites to get some ideas.
Once you have a topic in mind:
As an early-career researcher, selecting a topic for your research paper for potential publication can be both exciting and daunting. Fortunately, there is a well-established pathway to follow. Here we share some tips and advice that will help you navigate the process smoothly.
Consult your colleagues
First, talk to colleagues, such as members of your research group, to spark ideas, reveal novel angles for research, and flag up knowledge gaps in existing literature. Draw on senior colleagues’ expertise: talk with them, ask questions, and listen.
As you identify potential topics don’t lose sight of the fact that will you be investigating the one you chose for several, perhaps many, years. Ideally, you will select a topic that really interests and engages you now and that will continue to do so in the future.
Review the existing literature
Once you have your research idea - or at least a short list of possibilities - you will need to methodically review existing literature on the topic. This will help you get up to speed with the latest thinking, pinpoint what makes your idea different and clarify how it will expand current knowledge.
Identify keywords within your topic and use these in your literature searches. Multiple resources are at your disposal: some are open-source and others will be accessible via your university’s library. Wiley Online Library , JSTOR , ResearchGate and EBSCO are useful starting points and contain millions of journal articles and eBooks. Specialist databases, such as Medline and Project Muse , help hone searches within specific subject areas.
Don’t forget to tap into social media platforms, such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Gold Open Access publishers like Hindawi, who offer free access to all, will regularly share high impact papers and the latest research in specialist fields on their social channels.
As you review the literature, be methodical: identify themes, look for knowledge gaps, and evaluate previous methodologies and results. Ask yourself:
Remember to keep an open mind: a literature review may yield unexpected findings that make you want to rethink your idea or even take an entirely new direction.
Checklist the key questions
Devising a checklist of key questions will help keep you on track as you review the literature and refine your idea. Questions could include:
Keep your checklist handy throughout the process from initial ideas until final topic selection.
Thinking ahead is also prudent. Targeting the right journal to publish your work - one that is a good fit for your topic - will be important for future success. If you already have a journal in mind, scrutinize what they are publishing and familiarize yourself with their submission processes. If you are still looking for a journal to publish your manuscript, make sure to read the aims and scope of a journal to decide if it is the right fit for your research. Choosing a topic for your research paper takes effort but there is an established pathway to follow.
Tapping into the expertise around you, methodically reviewing existing literature and keeping an open mind will help you select a topic that is important, relevant and engaging - both to readers of your research and to yourself.
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This blog post is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY) Illustration adapted from Adobe Stock by David Jury.
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The topic you choose plays a large role in the outcome of your research project. It is likely that your topic will change several times as you progress through the early stages of research, so don't worry if your first few ideas turn into dead ends. Where are you in the process right now?
Understand the assignment.
Is it a 5-minute presentation or a 15-page paper? Do you need to find everything about the topic or just enough about one area to explain it to someone else? Asking yourself these kinds of questions can help you determine what types of sources you are looking for.
Do you need recent information? Do you need primary sources ? Do you need data sources?
If the due date is less than a week away, you’ll need to focus on resources that our library has. If you have more time, you’ll be able to request articles and books through Interlibrary Loan.
Brainstorm search terms.
Make a list of words that describe your topic. In addition to words for broad concepts (e.g. poverty, feminism) consider brainstorming more specific keywords, such as:
Event: an event within the context of your topic. Time: a particular time period connected to your topic. Person or group: an individual or group identified with the topic or particularly affected by it. Place: a region, city or other geographical unit connected to your topic.
Read over background information on your topic using encyclopedias or a specialized dictionary… or Wikipedia, just don’t end your research there.
Use your list to do a few basic keyword searches in the library catalog and one or two databases relevant to your subject to see if your topic can be supported by the available information. Schedule a library lab or stop by the reference desk to ask a librarian where to start looking.
If you’ve found numerous articles or books that are potentially related to your topic and you can’t decide which ones to focus on, it’s time to narrow your topic. Go back to your list of keywords — is there a particular person, place, time period, or event you could use as the focus of your paper?
Too broad : postcolonial literature in India Better : postcolonial aspects of the work of Salman Rushdie Best : postcolonial dynamics of historical representation in Rushdie's Midnight's Children
Be flexible — it is normal to have your topic change as your research progresses. You can never predict what you’re going to find.
Before you give up on a topic that really interests you, it’s worth talking to a librarian or your professor to see if there are potential sources you are overlooking or that are hard to find. Sometimes, though, there's just no reliable data on the topic. You might need to broaden it or take a different angle.
Can you expand the concepts you’d like to study?
Too narrow: women voting for Ross Perot in Poweshiek county Better: success of third parties among Iowa voters
Can you expand the time period or groups of people that you hope to study?
Too narrow: women in Iowa voting for a third party in the 1992 or 1996 election Better: Iowa voters response to Ross Perot in the 1992 or 1996 election
After you’ve conducted background research on your topic, it can be helpful to begin expressing it as a specific question.
Idea = Frank Lloyd Wright or modern architecture
Research Question = How has Frank Lloyd Wright influenced modern architecture?
Focused Research Question = What design principles used by Frank Lloyd Wright are common in contemporary homes?
Great! The next step is using the citations from your professor to track down the sources. Where are you in the process right now? I need to:
To determine if your citations are for books, articles or other types of sources, refer to a chart of example citations or use these tools:
Before you can find a cited source, you need to understand what the citation is telling you to look for. Is it a book, chapter of a book, journal article, or another type of source like a dissertation or government document? All reliable citations include the same basic information. Different citation styles arrange it in different orders, but here are the things you should be able to find out about a source from its citation:
The citation might provide more information than this, such indicating whether a source was found in print or online, but these are the basic facts you'll need to track it down. Citations come in different forms depending on where you find them. This is a sample citation of a book as it is found in the bibliography of an article:
Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Rev. ed. New York: Verso, 1991.
This is a citation for the same book as found in a search in the MLA International Bibliography:
Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism.
Benedict Anderson.
New York, NY: Verso, 1991. xv, 224 pp.
Although a database citation looks different from an article citation, it should provide you with the same basic information — and enough information for you to determine what type of source this is.
Type of source: Book
How do you know: Only has one title (no separate title for chapter or article), has no volume or issue number, lists a publisher and place of publication rather than a journal title
Type of Citation | Distinguishing Features | Example |
---|---|---|
Article citation (APA style) | Wegener, D. T., & Petty, R. E. (1994). Mood management across affective states: The hedonic contingency hypothesis. , 1034-1048. | |
Book citation (MLA style) | Gleick, James. . New York: Penguin Books, 1987. | |
Chapter of a book citation (Chicago style) | Chilson, Peter. “The Border.” , edited by Anthony Bourdain, 44-51. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. | |
Web site citation (APA style) | National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Hubble Mission Team (2023). . Retrieved Oct. 6, 2023, | |
Government document citation (MLA style) | Spires, David N. . 2 vols. United States Air Force. Washington: GPO, 2004. | |
Dissertation or thesis citation (Chicago style) | Hostetler, Tara. “Bodies at War: Bacteriology and the Carrier Narratives of ‘Typhoid Mary.’” master’s thesis, Florida State University. |
Before you jump into looking for detailed sources on specific aspects of your topic, it can be very helpful to get a lay of the land by doing some background reading in reference sources. Reading an encyclopedia article or other reference source is a quick way to:
Here are three ways to find background sources:
And here's just a sampling of our electronic reference sources.
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As a college student, conducting research effectively will be required in order for you to succeed in your classes. Whether you're asked to write a speech, a paper, or something else entirely, odds are you're going to need to know how to do some research in order to complete the assignment. Sometimes, though, research can be daunting -- it feels too time-consuming, unclear, or stressful. Luckily, it's a process that gets much easier with practice and a solid strategy. This guide will provide you with an overview of the research process and provide you with some tools and resources for getting started.
This free online course, developed by JSTOR, will help you get familiar with basic research concepts needed for successful college-level research. It contains three modules made up of short lessons and practice quizzes, and ends with an assessment to test your knowledge. Check it out here .
How to make an outline.
Developed by Gale, these are some basic aids to guide you through this specific part of the research paper process.
COMMENTS
Step 2: Brainstorm Your Topics. You aren't doing research at this stage yet. You are only trying to make considerations to determine which topic will suit your research assignment. The brainstorming stage isn't difficult at all. It should take only a couple of hours or a few days depending on how you approach.
Select a topic. Choosing an interesting research topic is your first challenge. Here are some tips: Choose a topic that you are interested in! The research process is more relevant if you care about your topic. Narrow your topic to something manageable. If your topic is too broad, you will find too much information and not be able to focus.
Step 1. Choose a Topic. Choosing an interesting research topic can be challenging. This video tutorial will help you select and properly scope your topic by employing questioning, free writing, and mind mapping techniques so that you can formulate a research question. Developing a Research Question.
To recap, the "Big 5" assessment criteria include: Topic originality and novelty. Value and significance. Access to data and equipment. Time requirements. Ethical compliance. Be sure to grab a copy of our free research topic evaluator sheet here to fast-track your topic selection process.
The biggest mistake you can make, however, is choosing a position before you start your research. Instead, the information you consult should inform your position. Researching before choosing a position is also much easier; you will be able to explore all sides of a topic rather than limiting yourself to one.
Step 1: Choose your topic. First you have to come up with some ideas. Your thesis or dissertation topic can start out very broad. Think about the general area or field you're interested in—maybe you already have specific research interests based on classes you've taken, or maybe you had to consider your topic when applying to graduate school and writing a statement of purpose.
Step 1: Check the requirements. Step 2: Choose a broad field of research. Step 3: Look for books and articles. Step 4: Find a niche. Step 5: Consider the type of research. Step 6: Determine the relevance. Step 7: Make sure it's plausible. Step 8: Get your topic approved. Other interesting articles.
Choosing your topic is the first step in the research process. Be aware that selecting a good topic may not be easy. It must be narrow and focused enough to be interesting, yet broad enough to find adequate information. For help getting started on the writing process go to the GGU Online Writing Lab (Writing tutor) where you can set up and ...
Step 5 - Choosing a Conceptual or Theoretical Framework ; Step 6 - Determining Research Methodology ; Step 6a - Determining Research Methodology - Quantitative Research Methods ... Whatever your field or discipline, the best advice to give on identifying a research topic is to choose something that you find really interesting. You will be ...
Step 5: Narrow down, then evaluate. By this stage, you should have a healthy list of research topics. Step away from the ideation and thinking for a few days, clear your mind. The key is to get some distance from your ideas, so that you can sit down with your list and review it with a more objective view.
The Purdue OWL (n.d.) guide to choosing a topic describes the brainstorming process: start thinking about the research project, set a timer, and write down all ideas that occur to you. Then, examine the list to look for patterns or trends among the topic ideas. Not all ideas that come up in brainstorming will be viable, but it is a good first ...
It's important that the topic you choose for your project meets these criteria: It has been written about (preferably by scholars). You can find enough sources on the topic to support your main points. You can find the best sources on the topic well before your assignment is due. You may find that your topic is too narrow if: You may find that ...
Step 1: Choose a Broad Research Topic. Research is a long process. Try to choose a broad topic that is interesting to you and that fits the assignment parameters set by the professor. Read through background information in an encyclopedia, dictionary, or database to learn about aspects of the topic that might interest you. ...
The goal is to choose a topic that you enjoy researching and will keep you motivated throughout the research process. 3. Do a literature review. After you've compiled a list of potential topics, review the literature to see what previous research has been done in the area.
2. Narrow Down Your List. Your next step in choosing a research topic is to start narrowing down your brainstorm list. Start the process of elimination. You might want to cross off topics that don't actually fit with the parameters of the projects, have little in the way of sources, or simply don't interest you.
The research process; Choose a topic; Find background info; Select keywords to search; Search for sources; Evaluate your findings Toggle Dropdown. Evaluating & selecting articles ... You may repeat steps, perform these steps in a different order, or think you've finished a step only to realize you haven't. Good news, though: research is a skill ...
Choosing a research topic; Finding inspiration; Preliminary research helps you learn more about your possible topic; Finding out more about your topic can help inspire your idea; Topic scope is crucial to a successful research paper; Techniques for narrowing a topic; 5W Example;
Choosing a Topic. Step 1: Topic Selection. Choosing your topic is one of the most important steps of your research assignment. Explore your Research Ideas. First check the assignment requirements. Make sure you can meet those requirements with the topic you pick. Then Ask yourself.
Step 1: Brainstorm. For five minutes, list out every topic you find interesting that is related to your class. Choose your favorite topic in the list and follow the rest of the instructions below. Hold on to the list in case your first choice doesn't work out. Use a relevant library database to make sure the topic is timely and well-researched.
A research topic is the main organizing principle guiding the analysis of your paper. The topic under investigation offers us an occasion for writing and a focus that governs what we want to say. It represents the core subject matter of scholarly communication, and the means by which we arrive at other topics of conversations and the discovery of new knowledge and understanding.
The first step in the research process is to decide what you are researching. For college assignments, sometimes your topic may be assigned and other times you will be able to choose any topic you'd like. You can also find yourself somewhere in the middle, where your professor will give you a broad topic or guideline for a topic and you'll be ...
Abstract. Selection of a research topic is a challenge for students and professionals alike. This paper addresses those challenges by presenting some strategies based on existing body of knowledge ...
Getting Started. Choosing a topic is the first and maybe the most important step of the research and writing process! This step will determine the rest of your steps -- what your thesis statement is, what sources you use, and how to write your paper. So it's important to make sure you choose a strong and engaging topic.
Choosing a topic for your research paper takes effort but there is an established pathway to follow. Tapping into the expertise around you, methodically reviewing existing literature and keeping an open mind will help you select a topic that is important, relevant and engaging - both to readers of your research and to yourself.
Choosing a Research Topic. The topic you choose plays a large role in the outcome of your research project. It is likely that your topic will change several times as you progress through the early stages of research, so don't worry if your first few ideas turn into dead ends. Where are you in the process right now?
This worksheet, designed by SIRS Knowledge Source, will guide you through the research process step by step, providing helpful tips, asking questions to help you best understand your topic, and leading you to creating a thesis statement. ... summarizes the necessary steps for writing a research paper, including choosing a topic & thesis ...