• Introduction
• Research 101
• Defining
• Choosing
• Research Topic
• Modifying
• Keywords
• Assessment
• Summary
• Types
• Searching
• Finding
• Evaluating
• Conclusion
• Academic Search
• Library Catalog
• Lexis Nexis
• Cambridge Science
• Tour UF Libraries
• More Information
• Acknowledgements

The Assigned Topic

In this situation, your instructor or professor has assigned a broad topic or list of topics for you to choose from.

Start by thoroughly reading your assignment to make sure that you understand what is required. Do you need to use specific sources, such as scholarly articles? Discuss the assignment with your professor if necessary.

Once you have chosen a topic, explore it to identify specific areas that interest you.

Try focusing your topic by selecting one or two ideas or issues that you will want to elaborate on in your assignment. By choosing specific issues, your topic becomes more manageable for the purposes of your assignment.

Identifying Issues
Are you having a hard time identifying issues within the topic?

Start by getting a good general understanding of the topic:

• Talk to your instructor or professor
• Check your textbook, course notes and assigned readings for the topic
• Read about the topic in an encyclopedia to get an overview of the topic, and to identify main issues
• Try a Web search
• Browse current issues of scholarly journals or magazines
• If the topic is a social issue, try searching for a report in CQ Researcher

Example:
Your instructor has assigned the topic of violence in sports. This is a general topic that you will need to explore to identify potential areas of interest. At this point, think of various ideas that you may want to investigate for your assignment.

Here are a few examples:

• Media coverage of violent incidents
• Fighting and its appeal to sports fans
• Violence in a particular sport such as hockey, baseball, etc.
• Effects of sports violence on young players
• Violence in sport and criminal prosecution
• Parents’ role in preventing violence in little league

 

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CQ Researcher
CQ RESEARCHER is a database that offers in depth reports focused on a single topic. Each weekly issue provides up-to-date information on controversial subjects, written by experienced journalists. The CQ Researcher covers a wide range of social, economic, political and environmental issues.