Choose Your Topic
When selecting your topic, be sure to review your course syllabus. If you have questions about your topic, contact your instructor. This is your opportunity to learn more, as you navigate your research journey. Be sure to take note of what interests you most.
Research Question Development
Characteristics of a strong research question:
- Be open minded and curious beyond your course readings and discussions
- Embraced focused ideas, but be mindful not to be too narrow
- Cultivate argumentative ideas and seek out evidence that supports your claims
- Explore potential changes by investigating relevant research and trends
Background Information
Use library resources, course text, and other external resources to gather background information on your topic.
Keep in mind:
- Do not be afraid to use the search engine Google for a better understanding. Jot down common keywords from your notes and apply it to your search using the library's databases.
- Try using the databases below to support your background searches
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Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowUse to find quick facts, images or background information on various topics in dictionaries and encyclopedias.
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History Reference Source This link opens in a new windowFeatures reference books, history periodicals, and other secondary sources as well as thousands of historical documents. Oriented towards high schools and undergraduate researchers.
Read and Evaluate Sources
Be intentional about the resources that you add to your bibliography. Your list of resources is beneficial to the scholar who reads your work.
- Who is the author(s) or editor(s) of the work? What else have they published? Would you consider them an expert in the field?
- What type of resource are you looking to cite?
- When was this resource published?
- Why was this resource published? What does the author or editor want you to know?
- Where did you find the resource? If it's an article, what journal published the article? Does it match your area of focus?