Research works best when it is tackled with the true spirit of inquiry. What are you ultimately trying to figure out in regards to your topic? Are you trying to gain an overview of a brand new topic, or understand something familiar with greater depth and clarity? Are you trying to develop a new idea or find the best arguments for or against an existing idea? Are you trying to find a solution to a problem? Approaching research through the lens of inquiry is a great way to keep you motivated. You aren't just looking for information, you're looking for ANSWERS!
The topic sweet spot is where three factors overlap: your assignment, your sources, and your own interests. Balancing these equally will set you up for success.
1. Understand your assignment.
Know exactly what’s expected. Pay attention to the guidelines:
Required or restricted topics
Page length/word count/timing
Number and type of sources
Mode of presentation (informative? persuasive? analytical? compare-contrast? problem-solution?)
2. Check source availability.
The right sources can make or break your topic. A paper requiring 8 peer-reviewed sources will push you toward more scholarly subjects than one that asks for 3 substantive sources. Before locking in your topic, preview what’s available in the types of sources you're required to find. A librarian can help you match topics to potential sources.
3. Choose personal meaning.
If your topic doesn’t matter to you, the work will feel like drudgery. Pick something you’re genuinely curious about or connected to. When you chase knowledge instead of just chasing the grade, the research process becomes more rewarding and the final product stronger.
You can get ideas for research topics from several MJC article databases.
Preliminary reading -- sometimes called background reading -- allows researchers/writers to familiarize themselves with existing information, current research, and various viewpoints concerning their chosen topic. This type of inquiry helps evaluate the viability of topics as well as refine or narrow broad topics into a manageable focus. To be clear, preliminary reading isn't about finding your sources -- though you may find some along the way -- as much as it is about finding your ideas.
Database content is free for MJC students, faculty, and staff. If you are away from campus, simply log in just like you do for your MJC email or Canvas.
While you're doing your background reading, think about what you find interesting, what you find challenging, what you find puzzling. Take notes because you're actually starting to think about what you want to say in your paper.
Once you have an idea of the story you want to tell, your job is to find the best sources possible to help you tell that story in a compelling -- and credible -- way. As you begin to gather the best sources, be sure to pay attention to the number and type of sources required by your professor.
With your plan in mind, you'll next create research questions that will focus your search for information to support the points you want to make and help define the flow of your paper.
Think of research questions as your shopping list for information. Just as a list keeps you focused in a crowded store, your questions keep you on track in the vast “supermarket” of sources. They help you:
Locate the most relevant information quickly and efficiently.
Stay focused so you don’t get lost or sidetracked while exploring.
Stay organized as you gather evidence and start shaping your paper.
And just like a grocery list, your research questions aren’t fixed. They may grow, change, or shift as you learn more and further refine your topic.
As you shape your research, different types of questions will help you focus on different parts of your paper: introduction, body, and conclusion. The following are sample questions to help you get started. Think of them as a menu of possibilities—some will fit your project, others won’t. Use them as a starting point to spark ideas, and adapt them to fit the scope and goals of your research.
Use these to get background information and define your topic.
What is ___?
Why is ___ an important issue?
What background information is necessary to understand ___?
What are the different types of ___?
These guide you into deeper analysis and evidence.
What causes ___?
What are the effects of ___?
What are the arguments for ___?
What are the arguments against ___?
What is being done about ___?
These help you pull your thinking together and point toward implications or solutions.
What conclusions can you make about your topic, and why?
What can you argue about your topic, and why are those arguments valid?
What should be done to address your topic, and why?