How do I choose a topic?
There are many ways to choose your topic! Follow the suggestions below if you're feeling stuck.
- Read through your assignment again, to get a better idea of what will work.
- Think about what topics in the class interest you the most.
- Consult with your professor. Ask for their advice - since this is their field, they'll likely be a great resource for you.
Have a topic but having trouble finding resources? You can...
- ...watch the video on this page for some insight.
- ...meet with your librarian! They can help you with your topic and searching, to make sure you're finding relevant sources for your assignment.
Once you have your topic, do some background research to find out if it will work for your assignment.
Gathering background information
When you are first selecting your topic, it's a good idea to do some basic general research on it, to see if it's a good fit for you. Do this by visiting a combination of the resources below:
- AccessScience This link opens in a new windowFull access to more than 7100 articles, 115,000 definitions, 2,000 biographies, and research advances in science and technology. Updated daily.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowPublished in print and online 44 times a year, the single-themed CQ Researcher report offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Covers 1991 to the present. You can view and search across all of our CQ resources here.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowFeatures content from reference book formats such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and books of quotations, plus subject-specific titles in subjects ranging from agriculture to philosophy to technology.
- Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library - GVRL) This link opens in a new windowA collection of reference ebooks in the following subject areas: Biography, Business, History, Law, Literature, Medicine, Nation and World, Religion, Science, Social Science, World Literature and Its Times.
- Sage Knowledge This link opens in a new windowIncludes an expansive range of Sage eBook and eReference content for students, researchers, and faculty. This collection includes scholarly monographs, reference works, handbooks, encyclopedias, textbooks and more.
- WikipediaWikipedia can be a great place to look to when you're looking to learn about your topic, but remember that anyone can edit it. Always verify the source material, and never cite Wikipedia directly in your scholarly work unless your professor tells you otherwise.
Picking your topic is research
This video was created by NCSU