Topic selection and development is not only the first step in the research process, it is also one of the most vital steps. Research is a lot like life: sometimes everything goes smoothly, but very often there are challenges! Some of the challenges students encounter within the research process include:
- not finding enough relevant information
- being overwhelmed with too much information
- not finding sources that are academically credible
- struggling to understand complex source material
- feeling unengaged with the topic at hand
When the going gets tough, having a topic about which you are genuinely interested, a topic that has been adequately vetted and planned out, is a huge asset. Many of the above challenges can be minimized simply by choosing and developing a strong, meaningful, and clearly focused topic.
This guide sets out to provide strategies students can use to choose strong topics and develop them in a way that makes the research process more efficient and thereby far less frustrating. If you need further help, or would like to learn more about research, stop by one of the MJC Library and Learning Centers and talk to a research librarian.
