Choosing a Topic - Not sure where to begin?

Choosing an interesting topic that is easy to research can be tough!  It is important to consider the assignment given by your professor carefully.  Is your paper supposed to convince the reader of something, explain or describe a topic or event, present two sides of an issue, or even something entirely different?  When choosing a topic you should consider what has interested you recently.  Was there something in the readings or lectures that caught your attention?  What are your peronal interests?  Is there something you found on the web, in a book, or in the news that you wanted to know more about that aslo fits the assignment description?  Below you can read more about getting started on writing assignments and resources to glance through when searching for the perfect topic.

For more informaion about brainstorming and expanding and narrowing ideas, check out these tutorials, websites, and papers:

Choosing a Topic - Interactive tutorial that highlights brainstorming and narrowing ideas to choose the perfect topic.

Check out the following websites to browse some hot topics for research:

Hot Paper Topics - A general interest topics from St. Ambrose University.

CQ Researcher - Available from campus only.  Great source for comprehensive information and analysis on popular issues. Use "Find A Topic" button in the left column.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center - (AVL) Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center draws on the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources to provide a complete one-stop source for information on social issues. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Newspaper Source - (AVL)  Newspaper Source provides selected full text for over 200 regional U.S. newspapers, international newspapers, newswires, newspaper columns and other sources as well as indexing and abstracts for national newspapers.

Google News - Search and browse 4,500 news sources updated continuously.

Google Directory - Excellent for clicking through lists of related topics.  The issues page has a very nice list of current social issues.  The websites to which Google Directory link have not been approved and are not scholarly.  Clicking through the list is a good way to find a topic before conducting your research with library resources.

These E-books and books are available through the library to help you get started:

(To learn more about accessing E-books through the library view our E-Books.)

99 Jumpstarts to Research: Topic Guides for Finding Information On Current Issues (2001) - Whitley, Peggy.; Olson, Catherine.; Goodwin, Susan Williams - E-Book

Researching Issues(2002) - Schrecengost, Maity - E-Book

The Everything Guide to Writing Research Papers (2005) - Spalding, Cathy - Book in Library - LB 2369 .S6295 2005