Tips for choosing and researching a topic

Topic Tips: 1. Ideas for a topic

If you don’t have a topic idea… … and you need a current / hot

topic▪ Look at “hot topic” databases

Topic Tips: 1. Ideas for a topic

If you don’t have a topic idea… … and you need a current / hot

topic▪ Look at “hot topic” databases▪ CQ Researcher – browse by date for current

topics

Topic Tips: 1. Ideas for a topic

If you don’t have a topic idea… … and you need a current / hot topic▪ Look at “hot topic” databases▪ CQ Researcher – browse by date for current topics

▪ Browse SCC’s current newspapers and magazines▪ Look at web pages for newspapers such as Arizona

Republic and New York Times or news sources such as CNN, MSNBC

… and you have been assigned a general subject area ▪ Try a Google search such as “good topic for a

psychology paper” or “current issues in education”▪ Look at a specialized encyclopedia for topics covered

… you can use 10,000 Ideas or similar books (see a librarian)

Topic Tips: 2. “Manageable” topics

Consider what types of resources you need for your paper and how many of each type Books? ▪ Search the library catalog▪ Browse the reference collection

Periodicals?▪ Search library databases

Web sites?▪ Search the web and evaluate some sites

Do you need to broaden or narrow your topic?

If possible, commit to a topic only after you’ve made sure you can find enough good sources

Topic Tips: 3. Good search terms

Finding “good” keywords and terms When choosing your topic, pay

attention to significant words that are used often in titles and abstracts (summaries) or as headings in specialized encyclopedias

Use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

http://authorities.loc.gov/▪ Primarily useful for finding books▪ Printed volumes at Info Desk or online at

http://authorities.loc.gov

Topic Tips: 3. Good search terms

Finding “good” keywords and terms When choosing your topic, pay attention

to significant words that are used often in titles and abstracts (summaries) or as headings in specialized encyclopedias

Use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)▪ Primarily useful for finding books▪ Printed volumes at Info Desk or online at

http://authorities.loc.gov Search database subject (thesaurus) list

Topic Tips: 3. Good search terms

Finding “good” keywords and terms When choosing your topic, pay attention to

significant words that are used often in titles and abstracts (summaries) or as headings in specialized encyclopedias

Use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)▪ Primarily useful for finding books▪ Printed volumes at Info Desk or online at

http://authorities.loc.gov Search database subject (thesaurus) list Find one good article in a database and look at

assigned subject headings Consult a librarian