Graduate Student Resources

Developing a good, viable research topic takes time and skill. While many instructors may assign topics, you may also be required to select your own topic of interest. Or, you may be required to expand on a specific topic across your studies. You'll want to identify a topic that is sufficiently narrow and focused to be interesting and manageable; yet broad enough to find adequate information. There are a few points you'll want to consider when preparing to conduct your research.

• Brainstorm for ideas.
• Read general background information on your topic to gain a basic understanding of the issues and sub-topics.
• Ensure the topic is manageable in scope.
• Make sure materials are available.
• Make a list of keywords and concepts, including topics related to your primary interest.
• Be flexible and be prepared to modify your topic to fit the assignment and available resources.

Sources for Finding a Research Topic

• Frontline PBS, featuring current issues and topics in the news
• ProCon.org, pros and cons of controversial issues and policies
• Room for Debate, a blog from the New York Times with discussion from outside contributors on current issues and events
• Scan magazines and newspapers for current issues and events.

Use brainstorming techniques to identify specific areas or questions and to help generate topic ideas. Use the following questions to help generate topic ideas.

• Do you have a personal interest that you would like to know more about?
• WHO are the important/influential people related to the topic?
• WHEN/what time periods are appropriate to the topic (contemporary or historical)? How did it originate?
• WHAT are some examples of the topic? A work of art, building, film, service, work of fiction? What is it made of (materials); what does it look like; what style is it? What are the creator's aims/concerns?
• WHERE? Is the topic tied to a specific country, region, place, geographic area? Has it been relocated or migrated to multiple places, and if so where? What is the importance of place to the topic?
• HOW has this topic/idea/work influenced others? How does it related to the larger context?
• WHY is this topic/idea important -- to others, to you?
• ADDITIONAL questions you have about the topic or something more you would like to learn more about?

Read general encyclopedia articles and broad summaries of the topic. This helps develop your understanding about how your ideas relate to broader, narrower, and related issues. It also provides words commonly used to describe the topic, which may be useful for your later research.

The following databases are good starting places for general information.

EBSCO Discovery Service includes Research Starters on a number of topics. Begin with a general search for your topic. If a Research Starter is available, it will appear at the top of your search results page.

Keep your topic manageable and be flexible. If you find too many resources or too much information, you may need to narrow your topic. If you're not finding enough materials to support your topic, you may need to broaden your idea.

Common ways to limit your topic include:

• by geographic area
• by culture
• by time frame
• by discipline
• by population group

Be wary of topics that are

• locally confined and covered only in local newspapers.
• too recent to appear in scholarly books or journal articles, and limited to coverage in only newspapers and magazines.
• too popular or trendy to be included in scholarly resources.