Start by brainstorming some potential topics to explore further.
Sometimes a topic may be too broad in scope, and although there is plenty of information on that topic, it can often be difficult to effectively cover such broad topics in research papers or other projects.
Other times, a topic may be too narrow; if there is very little reliable information or it is extremely hard to even find information on a topic, you may need to consider broadening it.
"File:Picking a Research Topic.png." Haren, Shonn M., Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. 28 Nov 2016, 07:45 UTC. <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Picking_a_Research_Topic.png&oldid=222562078>. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
General databases are good places to start when researching. SC4 has several general databases, which you can find below. For more on using the library databases, check out our research guide "How to Use the Library Databases."
SC4 Library also has many subject-specific databases and research guides, both of which can help to generate ideas for research topics.
Offers an enormous collection of full-text journals, providing users access to critical information from many sources unique to this database. Content for STEM, social sciences, humanities and more.
Easy to access reference resources from encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, quotations and more.
Open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly research journals.
Over 250,000 eBooks in a variety of academic subject areas.
Presented in a balanced, pro/con format, each article presents key facts arguments, history, and current context - an ideal resource for research papers, debate preparation, and persuasive writing assignments.
