Choose a research topic
Your topic is an area of study that will help you focus your research. Eventually your topic will lead you to a research question, which will provide the framework for your entire assignment.
A research topic can be broad, for example: Social media and children, charter schools, or homeless veterans.
But where does a topic come from? Here are a few sources to consider.
Your interests
Even if a topic is assigned, think about what aspect of it is most interesting to you.
Choosing something interesting will make the research process more fun and engaging.
Your questions
What have you learned, read about, or discussed in class that caused you to ask more questions?
It may be easier to choose a topic that you already know about, but this might make the research less interesting.
Class reading, notes, and discussions
Your textbook and assigned reading, class lectures, and discussions all contain topics that could be researched.
Skim through your course reading to find research topics.
News media, magazines, blogs, etc.
Try searching for news articles related to topics you’ve learned about in your class. Undoubtedly people are writing about topics related to your course subjects.
We’ll talk more about searching for articles in the next section and modules.
Image: Idea by Vectors Market from the Noun Project