WR 122 - Hills: Developing your topic
Strategic "Googling"
Using web searching to help you develop a topic can be incredibly useful. Googling your topic and exploring the kinds of results that you get can help you get a good lay of the land. As you use Google to find sources, think about trying to locate professional, academic, and governmental organizations that focus on your topic; don't just haphazardly pick pages where your search terms show up. Just remember that as you move toward greater focus in your research, you will want to move away from Google and toward more precise tools (like library databases).
Wikipedia will definitely come up in your search results. Use the entries to increase your knowledge of a topic and to direct you to other potential sources but do not cite Wikipedia in your paper.
Background information - Library tools
Specialized encyclopedias like those contained in the sources mentioned below can be invaluable for exploring a topic. Remember, encyclopedias are designed to give neutral background information.
- Gale Ebooks (formerly GVRL) This link opens in a new windowGale eBooks has over 200 encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Look here for biology, chemistry, nursing and medicine, sociology, history, education, law, and more.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowProvides online versions of 500 published reference works, including general and specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias. Try the Concept Map to search for terms and topics that are interconnected and displayed in a visual form.
Places to begin for Essay #3
- Five Key TED TalksIn a July 2012 article in the "New Yorker" magazine, Nathan Heller highlights five widely viewed, influential TED talks.
- The Challenges and Opportunities of 21st Century MuckrakingAccording to Nieman Reports, "watchdog reporting faces extraordinary challenges," and at the same time, "embattled muckrakers also have important new weapons at their disposal." Read all about it!
- Appropriating Native American Imagery Honors No One but the PrejudiceThe author, Amy Stretten, is a member of the Chickahominy Tribe of Virginia and argues against commercial use of Native American imagery.
Qualities of a Good Topic
A good, researchable topic will be:
- Focused: Remember, you're writing a 5+ page paper. If you take on a topic that is very broad (eg. "feminism") you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed.
- But not too focused: Likewise, if you narrow your focus too much, you might find that there aren't enough sources available to meet your four source requirement
- Interesting to you!
- Controversial/arguable