Are you feeling lost on your paper or assignment topic? Do you need help choosing a "Just Right" topic? This guide is designed to help you pick a topic and narrow it down to fit the assignment parameters.
Picking your topic can be overwhelming! Consider it just part of the research process. Just because you pick a topic doesn't mean it won't change or evolve as you research and write.
A research assignment needs more than just a topic. Research is problem-solving with information. It is more than a simple report of what is already known.
As you brainstorm a topic, you will probably find something within that topic to investigate. This is called an angle. The angle is a smaller, more specific element within the larger topic. The angles is what you will investigate with the context of the larger topic.
Once you have an angle, create a question about what you want to investigate. This research question shapes and guides your search for sources and ultimately your paper.
The process flow is illustrated in these images.
Use this to: find reliable, citable background information across all academic subjects.
Find: reference entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks, spanning the arts, humanities, social sciences, STEM, health, business, and more. Includes images, audio files, and videos to enhance your understanding.
Great for: getting started on a research project, developing and narrowing research topics, building foundational knowledge in any subject, understanding key concepts and terminology, or finding reputable background information for essays and discussions.
Use this to: explore today's most important social issues and controversial topics from multiple perspectives.
Find: carefully selected articles, graphics, and primary sources, pro/con arguments, historical timelines, and statistics on topics like climate change, social justice, gun control, healthcare, and more.
Great for: starting debate research, understanding perspectives of complex issues for essays and presentations, developing critical thinking skills by analyzing various viewpoints, and finding credible sources for current events assignments.
Use this to: explore multiple sides of today’s pressing social, political, and cultural issues.
Find: academic and reference articles, opinion pieces, videos, infographics, images, and statistics – curated to present differing viewpoints on controversial topics.
Great for: building strong arguments in argumentative, persuasive, or pro/con papers, and completing current events or social issue assignments with credible sources.
Post-Research Checkpoint:
Pretend that you are researching for an argumentative paper. After you do your initial research using your topic, write down a question about your topic. Once you have a question, research the topic again. Ask yourself:
Brainstorming can be useful to help pick the "just right" topic for your assignment.
Some ways to brainstorm include asking yourself questions, free writing, and mind mapping.
While it is not strictly necessary to do all three of these forms when beginning your assignment, it can be very useful to do some form of brainstorming in order to get your ideas flowing.
If you would like to create your own virtual mind map, consider using Bubble or Google Jamboard. (You will need to make an account to use either of these. Jamboard can be used with your Google e-mail sign in.)