1. Selecting a Research Topic Asa H. Gordon Library Savannah State University

2. Brainstorm for ideas Choose a topic that interests you.

3. Some of these questions may help generate topic ideas. ▫Do you have a strong opinion on a current social or political controversy? ▫Did you read or see a news story recently that has piqued your interest or made you angry or anxious? ▫Do you have a personal issue, problem or interest that you would like to know more about? ▫Is there an aspect of a class that you are interested in learning more about?

4. Questions Questions require answers – A topic alone is hard to cover completely because it may have too many related issues; but a question has an answer, even if it is ambiguous or controversial.

5. Questions Questions give you a way of evaluating the evidence A clearly stated question helps you decide which information will be useful. A question also makes it easier to know when you have enough information to stop your research and draft an answer.

6. Questions A clear open-ended question calls for real research and thinking Asking a question with no direct answer makes research and writing more meaningful to both you and your audience. Assuming that your research may solve significant problems or expand the knowledge base of a discipline involves you in more meaningful activity of community and scholarship. © University of Washington Information Literacy Learning 2001-2004

7. Helpful Web Sites to Get You Started: Idea Generator http://www.lib.odu.edu/research/idea/ideagenerator.shtml Browse through a variety of key words and phrases and then explore the ideas and devise a more specific topic.

8. Helpful Web Sites to Get You Started: The Scout Report http://scout.wisc.edu/index.php Published by the Internet Scout Project every Friday on the web and by email. A team of professional librarians and subject matter experts select, research, and annotate each resource.

9. Helpful Web Sites to Get You Started: Idea Debatabase http://debatabase.org/ Contains arguments for and against hundreds of debating topics, written by expert debaters, judges and coaches.

10. Guides to Paper Topics Manhattan (NY) Community College Student Speech and Term Paper Topics http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/help/speech/speechtopic s.html Multnomah County Library Social Issues http://www.multcolib.org/homework/sochc.html Murray (KY) State University Hot Topics http://lib.murraystate.edu/hottopics.htm

11. More Guides to Paper Topics St. Ambrose University (IA), O'Keefe Library Hot Paper Topics http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Hot/hotindex.htm University of Louisville (KY) Hot Topics http://library.louisville.edu/government/news/otherlin ks/otherlinks.html University of Michigan (MI) Documents in the News: Current Events Research http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/docnews.html

12. A Few More Guides Vanderbilt University (TN) Public Policy Issues and Groups http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/pub pol.html American Civil Liberties Union Issues Page http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/pub pol.html

13. Here are some ideas with links from California State University, Long Beach: Controversial People In the News Historical Political Society Issues Science and Technology Myself Popular Culture Sports Environment Health Business Compiled From: University Library California State University, Long Beach

14. Remember… The very best resource is a human resource Ask a reference librarian: In person at the Reference desk or Go to the Library Homepage and click on Ask A Librarian to IM with a librarian Ask A Librarian