Selecting a Topic Formulating a Research Question Identifying Main Ideas Identifying Information Sources & Tools Gathering Background Info Locating & Retrieving Materials Determining RelevancyOrganizing InfoWriting the PaperRevising the Paper The Research Process Ten Basic Steps The Research Process Ten Basic Steps

Business Religion Politics Technology Science health Term Paper Topics Abortion Affirmative Action AIDS Animal Rights Anthrax Assisted Suicide Asteroids Blackout Capital Punishment Child Abuse Cloning Conjoined Twins Diabetes Drunk Driving Easter Island Eating Disorders Spam Empire State Building Global Warming Gangs Gender Issues Health Care Holocaust Immigration Islam A topic is general. It is a category, frequently expressed in a single word or phrase, such as “alcoholism" or “teenage mothers.” A topic is a good starting point, but by itself, it is usually too broad, and so it must be refined.

Ask Yourself Questions About Your Topic: Is the topic of interest to me? Is my topic appropriate for my audience? Is it relevant to my course? How much or how little do I know about it?

The question the researcher asks that guides his or her inquiry into the topic. A good research question asks a clear, concise question and helps you keep a tight focus on your topic. A good research question is broad enough to allow you to find enough material, but narrow enough to fit within the size and time constraints of your paper. Choose a research question worth arguing about or exploring. FORMULATE A RESEARCH QUESTION

Evidence Find evidence to support your research question

Anecdotal (stories, rumors) Statistical Documentary Types of Evidence

books articles reviews textbooks bibliographies Web sites census data laws diaries speeches autobiographies tech reports transcripts musical scores letters Data or information that has not been analyzed or evaluated Data that has been analyzed

The overwhelming majority of scholars and researchers publish their work in academic journals available from subscription bibliographic databases accessible from the library homepage NOT FREE on the Internet.