ENGL 1301 - Expository English Composition (Tony Procell): Selecting Your Topic

Job and Career Accelerator 5.0 -- [Full Text | Learning Express]  MUST create a new account. 

Interest Matcher - Take this quiz to learn what occupations are great matches for you based on your interests.

Skills Matcher - Take this quiz to learn what occupations are great matches for you based on your skills and abilities.

Need to select the topic of a controversial issue in your field of study?

To keep up with the latest developments in your field, immerse yourself in scholarly journals, participate in professional associations, explore online resources dedicated to your area of expertise, and connect with industry professionals through networking.

• Follow Relevant News and Publications Regularly read reputable news outlets, blogs, or websites that cover your area of interest. Subscribe to newsletters or follow social media accounts from organizations related to your field.

• Engage with Scholarly Journals Access academic databases like JSTOR or PubMed (depending on your field) to explore recently published articles. Pay attention to recurring themes or controversial research topics.

• Browse for overviews in subject areas you are interested in and do some background reading.
  • Once you choose a topic, narrow it down to a question with at least two defensible sides. 
  • Find credible resources for both sides of the issue, not just those you agree with. ​

Could you follow these steps?

Keep an open mind. You may need to refine your topic, ask new questions, and repeat steps as you go along.

1. Identify and define your topic. Put your research topic into a question such as, "What is the debate surrounding vaccination refusal?" Now, you can identify your topic's main concepts and keywords, including alternate terms.

2. Background reading will deepen your understanding and vocabulary around the topic, which will help you identify search terms and develop a compelling research question. Subject encyclopedias (in print or Credo Reference) are excellent resources. 

3. Use Discovery Search or the library classic catalog to find books. Use your keywords to perform both keyword and subject searches. 

4. Use Discovery Search or individual databases to find journal articles. Be sure to choose appropriate databases for your topic.

5. Search for reliable and authoritative website resources. Try the librarian-recommended websites in this guide.

6. Constantly evaluate what you find. Consider timeliness, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.

7. Could you cite your sources? Citing gives proper credit to the authors of your materials and allows your professors to verify your conclusions.

8. Go to Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints and select Browse Issues for a comprehensive list of topics.