Selecting Your Own Topic
When choosing your own topic, start by selecting something that is broad enough to allow you to consider various ideas, and find adequate information.
Start by thoroughly reading your assignment to make sure that you understand it. Discuss the assignment with your professor if necessary.
Next, explore your topic in order to focus on specific issues that relate to it. Focusing your topic enables you to pinpoint important ideas or issues that you will want to work with in your assignment.
Before committing to a specific topic, try some preliminary research in a library database such as Academic Search Premier, to determine the type of information that is available.
When possible, research a topic that really interests you
Getting Ideas
Having a hard time choosing a topic?
For topics touching on current events or social issues:
- Talk to your instructor or professor
- Browse a newspaper or a weekly magazine such as Time, Newsweek, the Gainesville Sun or the New York Times
- Watch the news on television
- Take a look on the Web to find interesting ideas
- Search for topics in CQ Researcher
You could also:
- Browse your textbook for ideas
- Consult an encyclopedia
- Browse current issues of scholarly journals
Example:
You are interested in reality television as a topic for your assignment. There are many potential areas of interest related to this topic that you could explore.
Here are a few examples of areas of reality television:
- Programming and genres such as crime, love, dancing, etc.
- The glamorization of reality through television
- Audience perception of reality television
- Origins of reality television
- Effects of reality television on culture
| << Previous |Page: 1 2 3 | | Go to Next Section |
