Developing & Selecting your Research Question or Thesis

Choosing Your Topic 

  • Is the topic interesting to you? This may seem silly but writing about something is that interesting you will make the project more fun and engaging to you. 
  • Does the research topic fit the assignment? ​​Check with your professor/instructor if you are unsure.  
  • Is there enough information on the topic? or is there to much? If a topic is too broad it may be hard to find information that is focused and relevant. If your topic is too narrow it may be hard to find any information at all. 
  • Research is a process. As you work to develop your thesis statement you may find you need to broader or narrow your topic. This is normal.

Steps to Exploring Your Topic

  1. Try writing your topic as a question or hypothesis. For example: 
    1. Who benefits from legalizing marijuana?
    2. Wikipedia is/is not a reliable research tool.
    3. Bank bailouts do/do not help the U.S. economy.
  2. Make a list of keywords and/or phrases. 
  3. Use these keywords and phrases to explore ScholarOneSearch and the various databases here at Snell Library. 

I still can't decide on a topic!

More questions and strategies to help you get started. 

Start reading and listening: use Scholar OneSearch's "Audio and video" filters to see if there are documentaries, interviews, or news stories that might inspire you.

Try a broad overview to get a sense of how complicated a topic or idea may be

Dictionaries and encyclopedias provide concise surveys of ideas, events, historical figures, and other topics.

Consider images and photographs to inspire you and engage your audience

The Library provides access to the image database ARTstor. Visit the Library's Digital Media Commons Studio to learn about other image resources and fair use of images. 

Do I need numbers - data, statistics, or polls - to back up my thesis?

The Library provides access to Data and Statistics and has a Social Science Statistics subject guide. Check out the statistics portal, Statista.  For more tips and information on go to our Research Subject Guide on Data & Statistics. 

Is there a scholarly article on my topic?  (What is a scholarly article?)

Scholar OneSearch  is a combined library catalog and article search tool, check Research Guides by Subject. for selected interdisciplinary databases, including Academic Search Complete and JSTOR. For more tips and information on go to our Research Subject Guide on ScholarOneSearch 

Do I need late breaking news on my topic?

We have Newspaper resources and the current news research subject page. 

Do I need a primary source - eyewitness account, original document? (What is a primary source?)

You may wish to visit the University Archives or consult a staff member at the Research Assistance Desk.

Will I need to create my own audio or video presentation?

Consult Digital Media Commons Studio staff about designing an original media project.