Selecting a Research Topic

Asa H. Gordon Library Savannah State University

Brainstorm for ideas

•Choose a topic that interests you.

•Some of these questions may help generate topic ideas.

▫ Do you have a strong opinion on a current social or political controversy?

▫ Did you read or see a news story recently that has piqued your interest or made you angry or anxious?

▫ Do you have a personal issue, problem or interest that you would like to know more about?

▫ Is there an aspect of a class that you are interested in learning more about?

Questions

Questions require answers –

A topic alone is hard to cover completely because it may have too many related issues; but a question has an answer, even if it is ambiguous or controversial.

Questions

Questions give you a way of evaluating the evidence

A clearly stated question helps you decide which information will be useful. A question also makes it easier to know when you have enough information to stop your research and draft an answer.

Questions

A clear open-ended question calls for real research and thinking

Asking a question with no direct answer makes research and writing more meaningful to both you and your audience.

Assuming that your research may solve significant

problems or expand the knowledge base of a discipline involves you in more meaningful activity of community and scholarship.

© University of Washington Information Literacy Learning 2001-2004

Helpful Web Sites to Get You Started:

Idea Generator

http://www.lib.odu.edu/research/idea/ideagenerator.shtml

Browse through a variety of key words and phrases and then explore the ideas and devise a more specific topic.

Helpful Web Sites to Get You Started:

The Scout Report

http://scout.wisc.edu/index.php

Published by the Internet Scout Project

every Friday on the web and by email. A team of professional librarians and subject matter experts select, research, and annotate each resource.

Helpful Web Sites to Get You Started:

Idea Debatabase

http://debatabase.org/

Contains arguments for and against hundreds of debating topics, written by expert debaters, judges and coaches.

Guides to Paper TopicsManhattan (NY) Community College Student Speech and Term Paper Topics

http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/help/speech/speechtopics.html

Multnomah County LibrarySocial Issues

http://www.multcolib.org/homework/sochc.html

Murray (KY) State University Hot Topics http://lib.murraystate.edu/hottopics.htm

More Guides to Paper Topics

St. Ambrose University (IA), O'Keefe Library Hot Paper Topicshttp://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Hot/hotindex.htm

University of Louisville (KY) Hot Topics

http://library.louisville.edu/government/news/otherlinks/otherlinks.html

University of Michigan (MI)Documents in the News: Current Events Research

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/docnews.html

A Few More Guides

Vanderbilt University (TN)Public Policy Issues and Groups

http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/pubpol.html

American Civil Liberties UnionIssues Page

http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/pubpol.html

Here are some ideas with links from California State University, Long Beach:

ControversialPeopleIn the NewsHistoricalPoliticalSociety IssuesScience and Technology

MyselfPopular CultureSportsEnvironmentHealthBusiness

Compiled From: University Library California State University, Long Beach 

Remember…

The very best resource is a human resource

Ask a reference librarian:

In person at the Reference desk or Go to the Library Homepage and click on Ask A Librarian to IM with a librarian