How do I work with topics and sources?

In college you will write many research papers, and you will often be asked to pick a topic to write about.  It ia important that you realize that not every topic is researchable at the college level, which means you have to select a topic you can develop and use to write research papers at the college level. When choosing a topic for an academic research paper

• pick a topic you are excited to learn about that is also of academic interest (that is, of interest to researchers)
• pick a topic that has been studied by scientists or researchers or written  about by experts
• make sure your topic is researchable

What is a researchable topic for a college-level paper?

• It is clearly defined.
• It is narrow.
• It can be seen from many different angles and points of view.
• It is important to society.
• It’s something that has been studied by scientists or researchers or discussed/ written  about by experts. 

Let's unpack these terms.

Clearly defined

• A clearly defined topic is one that is narrow and focused. This type of topic does not ask yes/no questions and leaves room for discussion from many points of view
  • Examples
    • Genetically modified foods – this topic is too broad and vague and would be difficult to research. As it stands, this topic is not researchable.
    • Three ways in which genetically modified foods impact the economy – this topic is narrower and more clearly defined, so it can be considered researchable.

Narrow

• A narrow topic is well defined and specific.
  • Examples
    • Food in poor neighborhoods -- This topic is too broad (general) a topic and because of this it isn’t researchable.
    • The impact of food deserts on obesity -- This is a narrower and more researchable topic because it is more defined and specific.

Can be looked at from more than one point of view. 

• Select a topic that different people see from different angles and skip topics that everyone agrees on.
  • Examples
    • "Overeating is harmful to your health" is not a good topic of research because almost everyone agrees with this, so the research would be stating the obvious, plus it would be unbalanced due to the lack of credible opposing/alternative viewpoints.
    • "Community college should be tuition-free" is a good topic of research because there are multiple points of view about it.

Important to society

• Select a topic that is important to society in some way.
  • Examples
    • A topic such as "Why I prefer vanilla ice cream over chocolate ice cream" may be very important to you, but is of virtually no importance to society at large.
    • “Eating ice cream in moderation could add some calcium to the diet of picky eaters” is more significant to society because calcium is important for growth and for strong bones, and people’s health is important to society because having healthy people makes society better and stronger.

It has been studied by scientists or researchers and/or written about by experts.

• Choose a topic that scientists or researchers have studied and discussed, or that has been written about by experts.
  • Examples:
    • Vaccines
    • Consequences of taking weight loss drugs
    • Impact of incarceration on families

When you have chosen a topic, ask WH questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How 

For example, take the topic of artificial intelligence.  This topic is very broad, and needs to be narrowed to make it researchable. 

Here are some questions that can be asked about AI:

• What is artificial intelligence?
• When was artificial intelligence discovered/invented/developed?
• Who developed AI in the United States?
• How does AI affect jobs?
• How will AI impact the environment?
• Why is artificial intelligence controversial?

Use these questions to find keywords that will help you locate relevant information in databases and other resources. 

What is artificial intelligence? -- Here you are looking for a definition. This will typically be found either in sources like encyclopedias or in introduction sections of articles. 
When was artificial intelligence discovered/invented/developed? -- Keywords could be: Artificial intelligence, AI, development, discovery, invention
Who developed AI in the United States? -- AI, United States, development
How does AI affect jobs? - - AI, jobs, workers
How will AI impact the environment?  -- AI, environment
Why is artificial intelligence controversial? -- AI, controversy

College-level sources

• are quality, credible information you can find through the library, such as books, book chapters, and journal articles. These sources are the best choice when you’re doing research.
• can provide reliable background information on a topic. Sources such as books and encyclopedia articles can provide good background information for your project.
• often provide careful analysis of topics. Sometimes one point of view is analyzed, sometimes opposing viewpoints are discussed. This is similar to what you will do in your own work.
• are written by scientists/researchers and other experts, so the information provided is of high quality. 

Find sources through the library

A good starting point for your research is the library's home page, which functions as a portal to all the library's resources. 

• Start Here searches general resources, such as encyclopedias.
• Find Books searches the book catalog. 
• Find Articles searches the EBSCO databases.
• Find More searches everything. 

What about sources found through the Web?

There are good, reliable sources on the Web, such as

• open source journals 
• information from government entities, scientific/research/professional associations, international organizations, etc.

No matter what sources you use, it is your responsibility to check them for relevance, quality, and reliability. 

• Evaluate the quality of your sources and discard those that are not at an academic level.
• Learn to evaluate sources by using the CRAAP Method evaluation tool. 
• Are the sources relevant to your research? That is, do they fit? Your sources have to directly fit in with what you're researching. 
• When selecting sources, read the abstract if there is one. This is a summary of the major points of the source and it can help you decide if it fits with your research. 
• If there is no abstract, read the introduction and the conclusion, and if they seem to fit what you're working on, read the rest of the source. 
• Lost? Talk to your instructor or a librarian, or visit the Writing Center.

Having sources is just one part of research; you also have to integrate them seamlessly into your research. This way they form a natural part of your reasoning and a way to demonstrate how you understand the topic. Visit the source integration playbook to learn more. 

Don't lose your research!  Keep your sources, your notes, and your drafts in one place.  

Go to Google Drive 

• Click New
• Click New Folder
• Create and name a folder
• Open the folder you just created
• Create a blank document by clicking on Google Docs
• Use this document for notes and for links to sources
• When you find sources you like you can either
  • copy the link and put it in your Google Doc or
  • download the source and upload it to your Google folder

By using this method, you will always have your research handy and you won't lose sources or notes. If you need help working with Google Drive, contact a librarian.

• For help finding resources, use the library's playbooks. Librarians can help you understand the playbooks, but they cannot conduct research for you.
• For help with formatting citations, please consult the library's citation styles playbooks. Please note the librarians cannot help you with citation generators or with any citation guide other than the library's. 
• For help with composition issues (such as spelling, grammar, flow, etc.), visit the Writing Center.
• If you have questions, email the  librarians at reference@pvcc.edu, visit the library and speak with a librarian, or connect via chat. If your section has an embedded librarian, contact that specific librarian.