The topic you choose to research and write about will largely depend on the course and professor's instructions. However, we always recommend choosing a topic that is interesting to you. A research paper or project requires time and effort, so you want to pick a topic that will keep your interest and make writing a little bit easier.
You may want to try brainstorming ideas using mind maps, quick writes, or other brainstorming strategies. Discussing your ideas with your professor, classmates, librarian, or even family can help you narrow down your ideas.
Before fully deciding on a topic, you may want to do some initial searching through a Google search, Wikipedia search, or Encyclopedia search to gain a basic understanding of your topic and potential avenues for narrowing your topic.
The library has some databases that can give ideas for topics. Your best bet will be Opposing Viewpoints. This database includes a feature called Browse Issues that lists numerous popular topics that often have very different views. The list will provide a summary of the topic and even some articles and other resources that fit into that topic. Another option would be Academic Onefile and the Browse Topics feature which will give ideas for research topics based on broad categories.
The Library's YouTube channel has videos to help you navigate databases like Opposing Viewpoints.
Each professor will require or give guidelines for the types of sources you need to use in a research assignment. They can range from books to websites to newspaper articles to scholarly articles. Depending on the resource type, you will want to search in a different place.
For books, you will want to use the Library's online catalog. You can find more information about using Library books on the Using Books tab.
For websites, you will want to use a search engine such as Google to find sources. Remember your professor's guidelines about websites and check the information you find on the website with information from other sources. If you need help evaluating a website, you can schedule a Research Coach Appointment.
For newspaper articles, you might be able to access them through a Google Search. However, the Library also has databases dedicated to newspaper articles. Your best bet will be ProQuest US Dailies which includes newspaper articles from major newspapers like New York Times, Chicago SunTimes, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. We also have access to current and old editions of the Tennessean, Nashville's daily newspaper.
For scholarly articles, we suggest using a Library database. The Research Guide for your subject area has a list of databases that will be helpful to use for research in that subject. You will want to use the Finding Articles tab on the Research Guide to locate the list of databases. We recommend searching a subject-specific and general database to get a wide variety of search results.
After navigating to a database, you need search terms related to your research topic to find sources for your paper. We often think of search terms as the main ideas or concepts of your research topic, thesis statement, or PICO question. You may want to start off with a broad topic or fewer search terms to get an idea of what type of information is available.
Your search terms may also come from the brainstorming you did when formulating a topic. During your initial search, you may realize you want to choose a different topic or go a different direction with the same topic, and that is okay. Sometimes there may not be enough research available on a topic or you find a really interesting article, so you explore a different subtopic or change topics.
If you need help with using a database or figuring out search terms, schedule a Research Coach Appointment.
If you need help at any point during the research process, you can schedule a research coach appointment. Research Coaches are librarians who can answer your research questions. We can meet with you in person on the Jackson campus or over Microsoft Teams from anywhere.
You will also want to check out the Research Guide that matches the discipline for the project you are working on. Research Guides provide a starting point for your research, they include a list of databases that are related to your subject area, citation help, where to look for books in the library, and a way to contact a librarian for help. To access a Research Guide, visit the library's homepage and find the drop-down menu underneath the Library Catalog Search Box.
Lastly, you can try the Library's YouTube Channel. We have numerous videos to help you navigate the library's databases and books.
Make a research coach appointment with a librarian today and get help framing research questions, finding or accessing resources, and citation help. Students can meet with a librarian face-to-face in Jackson or through Microsoft Teams video conferencing.