WR121 & WR122 Zimmerly-Beck

...you need to know what you need to find! 

Start by looking at the assignment and ask yourself these questions:

• How many sources do you need?
• Does your instructor state what type of sources you need? 
  • Do you need popular or scholarly resources? Peer-reviewed journal articles or eBooks? Are articles from online OK? What about encyclopedias?
  • If articles from online are OK, how can you evaluate them to make sure they are credible?
• What kind of information do you think you will find in each type of source? Where will you find each type of source?

Having trouble finding a topic for your assignment? The most important aspect of your topic is that it needs to be interesting to you - because you get to learn (research) and write (paper) about it.

Try the steps below:

1. Review your assignment prompt, as well as any class notes, to get an idea of what your instructor wants you to write about.
2. Broad topic: Start broad with a topic that relates to the assignment prompt.
   • Browse for suggested topics these library tools.
3. Ask yourself:
   • What do you want to know about the topic?
   • What do you already know about the topic?
   • You may also want to consider your audience and purpose.
4. Reflect on those answers. What seems more interesting to you? Are there themes you are seeing that you want to explore more? 
5. Write down a question that focuses the broad topic to one that interests you.

A good topic is not too broad or too narrow. You may need to do some searching in the library catalog or online to figure out if your topic is too broad or narrow, and adjust.

Examples

1. Broad topic: Climate Change
2. Ask yourself:
   • What do you want to know about the topic?
     • How does climate change impact individual people or communities?
     • Does climate change hurt farms or other ways we get food?
     • What can we do to help with climate change?
   • What do you already know about the topic?
     • Politicians argue a lot about climate change.
     • Sometimes it’s called Global Warming.
     • It seems like there are more floods and droughts. And wildfires.
   • You may also want to consider your audience and purpose.
3. Reflect on those answers. What seems more interesting to you? Are there themes you are seeing that you want to explore more? 
4. Write down a question that focuses the broad topic to one that interests you.
   • How does climate change impact people’s ability to get fresh food?

The research process isn't straight line! Learn about the multi-step process you go through as you explore a topic, learn about it, and present information on it.

Video player not working? Watch on YouTube (4m38s)

Not sure where to start? Want a bit more help developing a topic or developing a thesis? Take a look at our Research Help guide!