English 111

Developing a research topic is the first step in any research assignment. A well-developed topic should be clear, focused, and aligned with the assignment’s requirements. If your assignment instructions allow it, you should choose something that you're personally interested in, since that will make the research process more enjoyable and engaging.

Start with looking at background information about your topic to learn more about it and help narrow your focus. You can look at it by:

• Place: limit by a region, country, state, or city (e.g. United States or Central Asia)

• Time: limit by a time period (e.g. the 20th century or the civil war era)

• People or groups: limit to a specific group or person (e.g. Ashkenazi Jews or Vincent van Gogh)

• Events: limit to a specific current or historical event (e.g. World War I or COVID-19 pandemic)

• Specific examples: limit to specific examples of a broad topic (for example, instead of sports, consider tennis or chess)

Need help choosing a topic?

1. Consider the assignment instructions and what you're personally interested in.
2. Ask for help! Librarians and professors can help you decide if a topic is too broad, too narrow, or inappropriate for the assignment.
3. Do some background research. The library provides free access to several databases that include many research topics you can browse through.
4. Try browsing through the databases listed below to get some inspiration.