ENGC 1101 College Writing (Czerwiec)

Choosing a research question is a process of exploring what interests you. After choosing an initial topic, you may need to focus on just one small piece of it as you start your research. The key to choosing and researching any topic it to find something that is neither too broad or too narrow.

To help you understand the research cycle and how to choose an appropriate topic, watch this topic video from North Carolina State University Library.

As you think about research topics and the question you would like to answer, search in a library database to get more ideas:
 

Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context)
Topic overviews, opinion articles, and additional sources on social, economic, and political issues.


Issues & Controversies
A collection of issue overviews, pro/con articles, court case summaries, editorial cartoons, and other resources for debate on controversial topics.

Credo Reference
Articles from dictionaries, general and subject encyclopedias, handbooks, atlases, and more.

Gale eBooks
Selected dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reference books in many subjects.
 

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost)
Articles in all subjects from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. An all-purpose database and often a good place to start.

Academic OneFile (Gale)
Articles in all subjects from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. An all-purpose database.

JSTOR
Scholarly articles, ebooks, and primary sources in the social sciences, humanities, earth and biological sciences, and more. Includes images from libraries, museums, and archives.

ProQuest Major U.S. Newspapers
Search the 5 major U.S. newspapers all at once. Includes New York Times (including the Magazine and Book Review), Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal (including WSJ magazine).

Book Search
 

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Still stuck? The Library has lots of databaes. Try looking in this list for more options:
All Library Databases by Subject/Type
All of the library's online collections, organized by subject or type.

Picking a Research Topic
Narrowing down your research topic makes your research easier and increases your ability to persuade your audience. As you begin researching, look for opportunities to narrow your research question.




Choosing and Using Keywords
If you can’t find much on your topic, try different keywords. Using synonyms or broader related terms can help you find more articles. As you research, be on the lookout for new keywords to use.



Research is a process. You probably won’t find everything you need on the first try. You may have to try several library databases to find all the information you need.
 

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 StartingtheResearchProcess-Argumentative.docx