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HIST 102 - History of the United States Since 1865 - Researching World War II - Gutierrez

Start Brainstorming Terms

Searching for information will have you typing a lot of words into boxes as you use search engines, databases, library catalogs, and the internal search features on websites like the Library of Congress or the National Archives. The words you type into these boxes? They matter. 

"What is this war called, anyway?"

  • World War 2
  • World War II
  • World War Two
  • WW2
  • WWII
  • World War, 1939-1945

Research Questions Video

Watch the video below to see how to create research questions.

Background Reading: Getting Acquainted With Your Topic & Developing Ideas

Creating Research Questions

Creating Research Questions Why research questions? Outline the flow of your paper: introduction, body, conclusion. Create targeted search queries to quickly find the most useful sources. Track the sources you've found vs. those sources you still need to find. Sample Introduction questions 1. What is your topic? 2. Why is your topic an important issue? 3. What background information is necessary to understand your topic? Sample body questions What caused your topic? What are the effects of your topic? What are the arguments FOR your topic? What are the arguments AGAINST your topic? What is being done to address your topic? Sample conclusion questions What conclusions can you make about your topic and why have you come to those conclusions? What can you argue about your topic and why are those arguments valid? What should be done to address your topic and why? To begin answering your questions, please visit: mjc.edu/library

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