Selecting a topic

Choosing a Subject:

When choosing a subject for your term paper, ask yourself these questions:

  • Is this topic interesting?  If you enjoy the subject, doing research will be easier.  If you show some enthusiasm in your writing, you will usually be rewarded. 
  • Does this subject fit the course?  Keep in mind the expectations your professor has for the project.  If you have doubts about your subject, discuss it with your professor.
  • Is this topic worth pursuing?  Your project may be something you have to do, but it should also be something of value.  Your project should be original and something you are genuinely interested in.  Otherwise, it is a waste of your time and the time of your professor to just rehash things said many times before or to dwell on the obvious.  Being original does not mean you have to discover a new law of nature; it means using a fresh approach to a subject or taking your own position on an issue.
  • Can this topic be researched?  Many topics do not work well as research projects.  Some topics are too obscure or have taken place too recently to have generated much literature in the libraries.  Other topics may require critical thinking, but do not lend themselves to research. Popular topics are not always easy to research because of the overwhleming amount of resources available on such topics.

Background Information:

  • Before you dive into your research project, do some background reading first.  Background reading will help you get up to speed. It will also initiate you to the jargon and terms of special subject areas.  As you read, jot down potential relevant keywords and phrases to use in searching for additional information.
  • Do some preliminary background reading of an article in a subject encyclopedia. Ask a librarian to help you locate an encyclopedia in your subject.
  • Check out some of the online encyclopedias of the library

Define & Refine Your Topic:

  • Look for journal articles to get a general idea of the key issues or controversies involved in your topic.ProQuest Central or Academic Search Complete are both good places to start with your search.  
  • If you don't find articles relevant to your topic  start thinking of similar key words (synonyms) or concepts and search again. For example, if you are looking for material on anorexia and teens, try also "eating disorders" and "adolescents" or "teenagers" as other key words. In this way, you will broaden your search and find more material on the same topic.
  • If your topic is too broad and you get too many hits, you should limit your search to a specific time period, geographic area or population. For example, try anorexia and teenagers in the US. You can also use the Limit options in the databases to get only scholarly and current information relevant to your topic.