Develop Your Topic
Before you develop your research topic or question, you'll need to do some background research first.
Some good places to find background information:
- Your textbook or class readings
- Encyclopedias and reference books
- Credible websites
- Library databases
Try the library databases below to explore your topic. When you're ready, move on to refining your topic.
Find Background Information:
| CQ Researcher | Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints | Sage eReference |
|---|---|---|
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Need an Idea?
A great idea can come from many places. Here are some suggested places to start:
- The Perch! Check out the Perch guide for great topic development resources.
- Class discussions
- Assigned readings
- Topics in the news
- Browse journals in the field
- Personal interests
Now that you've done some background research, it's time to narrow your topic. Remember: the shorter your final paper, the narrower your topic needs to be. Here are some suggestions for narrowing and defining your topic:
- Is there a specific subset of the topic you can focus on?
- Is there a cause and effect relationship you can explore?
- Is there an unanswered question on the subject?
- Can you focus on a specific time period or group of people?
Describe and develop your topic in some detail. Try filling in the blanks in the following sentence, as much as you can:
I want to research ____(what/who)____
and ____(what/who)____
in ____(where)____
during ____(when)____
because ____(why)____.
Creating a concept map helps you think about your topic and plan your search strategy. Start with your topic and identify what you know and the questions you have. Concept maps include key concepts, alternative terms, and their relationships.
To create a concept map:
- Write down your topic or question.
- Circle the main concepts
- For each concept, list keywords, synonyms, and examples.
If you're stuck, consider:
- Other ways to describe the concept
- Opposites of the concept
- Related genres or overarching ideas
- Specific examples
- Relevant people or organizations
Write down any questions that arise. This process generates keywords for a richer database search, leading to better results! Try either of the resources below to get you started!
Successful searches for information require you to be creative and flexible. The words you use to describe your topic may be different than the words used by the person who created the information you need to find. Challenge yourself (and give yourself enough time) to search, read, discover new terms, and then search again. Research is an iterative process!
Start with the main keywords!
When searching library databases and search tools, keywords are key.
Before you begin your search it is good practice to develop a handful of keywords or phrases. Use the following strategies to help.
- Write a sentence describing your topic or question to your friends. Circle or highlight the main words -- these are keywords.
- Now do the same thing, but describe your topic or question to your professor. Circle or highlight the main words.
- Who cares about your topic? Who cares enough to write about your topic? You might add the names of these people or groups.
- Can you come up with synonyms for any of the words you listed thus far?
- Are their words that broaden or narrow the scope of your existing words?
- Can you think of different words or phrases that describe the who, what, when, where, and why of your topic or question?
- Note that you will continue to develop keywords as you search. This is in part because you will encounter new academic or specialized terms and phrases that describe your topic, and your topic might develop, narrowing or broadening, as you develop a deeper background understanding. Many people will keep a running list of keywords as they search.
- PRO TIP: As you search library tools and databases, look for any 'Subject Terms' listed as describing resources you discover. You will often find these in the article descriptions. These are words and phrases that academics and librarians develop to describe research topics and can make fantastic keyword searches.
PRO TIP: If you need to find scholarly (academic, peer-review) journal articles use the filters! Most library search tools and databases will have a filter that allows you to limit your results to those items considered to be scholarly. NOTE: Search tools and databases may differ and could use any of the following terms: scholarly articles, academic articles, peer-reviewed articles.
TRY THIS: See if you can add anything to the existing keyword list. Is anything missing? If so, add it to the list.