It may feel really overwhelming to choose a research topic. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Choose a text and/or concept or problem that interests you. This can be your starting place---be prepared for this to change a bit as you develop your research!
- Write down keywords and key phrases that relate to what you are interested in, and the questions you want to ask as you research. Think of alternative terms. If you want to visualize them spatially, start a concept map, or mind map.
- Research backgrounds and contexts, if you would like (see the Reference page some reference sources that can help with this).
- Use the words and phrases on your concept map in your searches across catalogs and databases. Try out different combinations!
- As you begin to review the sources you have found, think about how you might want to develop the shape of your topic---by making it more specific, or broadening it, or approaching it differently than you did when you started.
