Developing research topics
Why develop your research topic?
Starting with a focused topic will save you time and frustration later in your research process. To avoid hours of aimless searching, be clear about what information you need and do not need. Confining the scope of your topic to a specific aspect will also ensure it is manageable: for the amount of time you have to work on it, for its target length, and for any key points your assignment tells you to cover.
For example, the Second World War was a six-year global conflict involving numerous aspects - too many to cover in a short research paper. Instead, think about a specific aspect that you are interested in, such as the use of submarines in the Battle of the Atlantic or the role of the Canadian Women's Army Corps.
Tips for developing a research topic
- Brainstorm: Use a concept map like the one shown below to generate all the ideas you can about your topic. You can continue to add to your concept map as you learn more about your topic.
- Share: Discuss your topic ideas with classmates, friends, instructors or a librarian.
- Browse: Browse encyclopedias and dictionaries in McPherson Library's Reference area or on the UVic Libraries website.
- Understand expectations: Be clear on the expectations of your assignment. Read your assignment closely and look for key instructions that might help you decide which topic is most suitable.
- Keep it interesting: If permitted, select a topic that interests you. The easiest topics to work with are ones you find exciting and keep you motivated to learn more.
- Tolerate uncertainty: Tolerate some uncertainty at this early stage of your research; you will not have all the answers now, but work with what you have. Pick a topic and move forward with your research process. You can always make changes later.
- Formulate a question: Try formulating a research question by completing the following in one sentence: "I want information on..."
Here is concept map on climate change. After completing the concept map and focusing the topic, this student developed the following research question: How does climate change impact polar bear habitat?
Portions of this web page have been adapted from Search Smart: An Introduction to Academic Research. For more information on developing a research topic, consult the Search Smart workbook.
For more information contact:
Teaching and Learning Office