LibGuides: Research Help: Choose a topic

Choosing a Topic

Library resources (especially those listed here)
Review materials from class such as lectures, notes, PowerPoints, handouts, etc.
Discuss ideas with your classmates or instructor
Meet with a librarian, tutor, or peer mentor to brainstorm ideas

Interesting to you
Fits the scope and parameters of the assignment
- Too Broad: you won’t be able to cover all of it in your paper
- Too Narrow: you won’t be able to find enough information about it

Browse these resources to help find a current issue or topic:

CREDO Reference This link opens in a new window
Search over 600 full text reference books for your topic. It also has article links to library databases (such as ProQuest and EBSCO).
Gale eBooks (Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new window
Specialized reference eBooks for multidisciplinary research.
Opposing Viewpoints In Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Information about current social issues from topic overviews, news, opinions, pro/con essays, and other sources.
Oxford Reference Premium Online This link opens in a new window
Includes language and subject dictionaries, general reference books, subject-specific reference books, timelines, quotations, and overview pages.
US Newsstream (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Search the most recent premium U.S. news content, as well as archives which stretch back into the 1980s featuring top newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites in active full-text format

TED
TED is a global community that shares ideas from people in every disciple and culture.
Wikipedia
Figure out what interests you, then look at the references linked at the bottom of each article.
Google Scholar
Search across many subjects and resources to see scholarly sources, then use the library’s databases to access full text of articles.
The Conversation
The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization that publishes trustworthy and informative articles written by academic experts for the general public.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily is an online publication that provides scholarly context (historical, scientific, literary, political, and otherwise) for current events. Articles also include links to free, publicly accessible research for additional reading.