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 Topics
Manhattan (NY) Community College
Student Speech and Term Paper Topics
http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/help/speech/speechtopic
s.html
Multnomah County Library
Social 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 Topics
http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Hot/hotindex.htm
University of Louisville (KY)
Hot Topics
http://library.louisville.edu/government/news/otherlin
ks/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/pub
pol.html
American Civil Liberties Union
Issues Page
http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/pub
pol.html
Here are some ideas with links from
California State University, Long Beach:
Controversial
People
In the News
Historical
Political
Society Issues
Science and Technology
Myself
Popular Culture
Sports
Environment
Health
Business
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