Library Workshop

Resources for Finding a Research Topic

Contact Information: | 888-628-1569

summary | This workshop will introduce students to library and online resources which can be used to locate potential topics for a research paper or dissertation. It will provide students with techniques to become more effectiveat brainstorming topic ideas, searching for research topics, and evaluating the available literature.

NOTE: The Library cannot assist students with choosing, narrowing down, or developingtheirresearch topic. They are advised to contact their mentors, chairs, or consult the Dissertation Center.

learning objectives|Upon completion of this workshop students will know how to:

  • Access the Research Process – Finding a Research Topic pages on the Library’s website
  • Brainstorm and create a topic ideas journal
  • Use online sources to locate potential topics
  • Use e-books to gain background information on research topics
  • Locate scholarly articles to review the Discussion, Conclusion or Future Research sections
  • Identify special considerations for choosing dissertation topics
  1. research process |A thorough overview of the research process may be found on the Library’s Research Process page. Today’s workshop will correspond to the section titled Finding a Research Topic.Remember, finding an appropriate and manageable topic is research, and requires a significant investment of time.
  1. brainstorming |Begin thinking about the type of research you would like to do by asking yourself the questions below. Record topic ideas in a log or journal, making sure not to evaluate any ideas during the process. Remember, even seemingly silly ideas can lead you to relevant new topic areas and research questions.
  • What are your major interests within your discipline?
  • What personal experiences have you had that were particularly significant or meaningful to you, as it relates to your discipline?
  • What coursework did you take that you found most exciting?
  • What theories and concepts are most interesting to you?
  • Are there some ideas you have studied which you are curious about and would like to explore more?
  • What are your career goals upon completion of your degree?
  • What are the major issues or problems faced in your industry today?
  • Have you read any interesting articles or books related to your discipline?
  1. keywords | The next step is to start identifying keywords related to your potential topic ideas. Try to break down your topic or research question into 2-4 overall main ideas; these main ideas become simple keywords which “point the way” to research in that area. Similar to the Topic Ideas Journal, keep a keyword list when you are researching a topic.
  1. online sources |Start with one of your broad topic ideas and conduct a search in Google or another search engine to see if there is recent information on that topic.Use keywords such as: trending news or trending topics, recent research, controversial issues, policy debates, and other relevant terms to locate recent news. Closely evaluate any online sources to ensure they contain balanced, factual information. See the Library’s Website Evaluation page for specific criteria to consider. Additionally, the following types of online sources may lead to topic ideas:
  • Blogs- valuable source for information on trending issues, current events, recent research, debates and more. Reviewing blogs may be an important step in identifying current studies and trends in a subject area.
  • Research news websites- Headlines for recently published research can be found by searching for the keywords “research news.”
  • Popular news sources and magazines - Use the links provided in online articles or the informal in-text citation within the article to locate the original research publication. These resources can be found by conducting an internet search, or using NCU Library’s Find a Resource tool to search for specific publications by title.
  • Controversial topics and debates- useful for learning about different perspectives on the same issue.
  • News feeds or alerts - Subscribing to news feeds helps you stay up-to-date on the research that is being done in a specific field.
  • Open Access Resources - statistics, reports, conference abstracts and proceedings, white papers, association newsletters, industry news and more.Visit the Library Guidesto browse websites by discipline.These sources are freely available and not proprietary, meaning that they do not require login or subscription.
  • Wikipedia or other online wiki sources are helpful for finding background information on a topic and getting ideas for keywords and phrases, but they should never be used as a cited reference in academic research.
  1. reference resources |Reading encyclopedia or handbook entries on an idea that you are considering is a good way for you to see the big picture. This information can help you decide if the topic really is in line with your thinking, and whether you want to continue researching in that subject area.Go to the Find an E-Book page to see a list of the Library's reference e-book databases.
  1. books |Books often give that broad subject overview and mention specific theories, researchers, or topic areas that you may want to pursue further.Withthousands ofe-books on many different subjects, Ebrary is a great database to start your search.
  1. scholarly articles |Start by using the Roadrunner Search located on the Library’s home page. Roadrunner searches approximately 95% of all of the Library’s databases. When you discover articles in your topic area, skim through the full-text for their Discussion, Conclusion or Future Research sections. These sections will highlight new research questions that the study raised, tangential research questions, or questions that have been around for a long time but have not yet been answered.The missing piece or pieces in the research literature is called the literature gap.
  1. dissertation topics | The Northcentral University Dissertation Handbook describes an appropriate dissertation topic as one that is interesting, feasible, relevant, and worthy. You can read more about each of these considerations in the Dissertation Resource Manual (available on the Dissertation Center website). Additionally, it is important to consider:
  • Access to the primary literature and secondary literaturerelating to your topic
  • Access to the tests and measurements that you will need
  • Access to theoretical frameworks relating to your topic
  • Access to seminal research relating to your topic
  • Access to the study group to conduct your study
  • Access to equipment for your study, if needed
  • IRB approval for your study (see IRB Handbook in the Dissertation Center)
  1. additional resources| Please visit the below links for additional information on finding a research topic.
  • Choosing a Topic (OWL at Purdue)
  • Finding a Research Topic
  • Getting Ideas for a Study
  • How to Select a Research Topic (University of Michigan)
  • Northcentral University: Narrowing the Topic
  • Selecting and Using Keywords
  • Strategies for Choosing a Research Topic (University of Minnesota)
  • Strategies for Narrowing the Research Topic (University of Southern California)

quiz|Answer the questions below to reinforce what you have learned in today’s workshop.

  1. What is the first step in finding a research topic?
  2. Name two types of online sources which may be useful in finding research topic ideas.
  3. Where in the Library can you locate popular news sources and magazines?
  4. Which page in the Library provides access to reference resources?
  5. What type of resource should you consult for broad subject overview and coverage of specific theories, researchers, or topic ideas?
  6. What part of a scholarly article might identify a literature gap?
  7. Name two additional topic considerations of dissertation students.
  8. Can the Library assist you with narrowing or choosing your research topic?

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