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Research help

This guide will help you at all stages of the research process, from choosing a topic to citing your sources.

Choose a topic

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.
  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
  • Broad topic: Climate change
  • Ask yourself:
    • What do you want to know?
      • 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?
      • Politicians argue a lot about climate change.
      • Sometimes it’s called Global Warming.
      • It seems like there are more floods and droughts. And wildfires.
    Reflect and write out a question
    • How does climate change impact people’s ability to get fresh food?
  • Broad topic: Misinformation about climate change
  • Ask yourself:
    • What do you want to know?
      • Why do some media outlets keep downplaying or denying climate change?
      • How is research funding affected by climate change denial?
      • Why is the United States behind on addressing climate issues compared to many other countries?
    • What do you already know?
      • The US withdrew from the Paris Agreement, an international climate change agreement.
      • Environmental groups and researchers have data showing proven ways to slow climate change down or reverse it.
      • Climate change denial is misinformation, like, it's factually wrong. But is still shared by organizations and people.
    Reflect and write out a question
    • How is misinformation about climate change impacting our ability to effectively address the climate crisis?

Choose a topic (video version)

Before you choose a topic to research, test it out and make sure it is a good topic to use!

Video player not working? Watch on YouTube (4m29s)

Browse for topics

Background information

Background information is general, overview information that introduces you to a topic.

Building a basic understanding of your topic at the beginning of your research process helps you identify keywords and narrow down a focus within the topic. This is also a good time to decide to switch your topic if it isn't initially interesting.

The best place to find background information is in an encyclopedia. Encyclopedias are a type of resource that offer information on many subjects, or on many aspects of one subject. 

  • Wikipedia is a well-known encyclopedia. We recommend using it as a starting place in your research.
  • eBooks and encyclopedias: If your instructor prefers you use a library resource, Gale eBooks has lots of encyclopedias.
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