Introduction

As a Seawolf, you are a researcher! Research opportunities are a big part of what makes SSU special. When you engage in college research, you embark on a process of making observations, asking questions, and accumulating knowledge. This section will help you get started with your research by helping you choose a topic and create a research question.

How do I choose a topic?

Not sure where to start for your research topic? The first step is choosing your topic! When choosing a topic, we suggest following these three steps:

1. Read the assignment. Did your instructor provide a specific prompt or encourage you to choose a topic related the course? Start there!
2. Browse topics in a library database or on the web. Take a look at what you see when you search for your topic in Google, Wikipedia, OneSearch, or a library reference database.
3. Reflect, and ask yourself questions. As you consider research topics, ask yourself:
  - What do I enjoy?
  - What am I interested in?
  - What makes me angry or frustrated?
  - What problems do I notice in the world?
  - What am I curious about?
  - What have I always wanted to learn more about?

Reference sources are excellent places to start your research. They provide a broad or general introduction to a topic, as well as essential dates, facts, and scholars. Reference sources may help you turn a broad topic into a more focused research question. Reference sources include encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Databases are organized collections of information stored and accessed electronically. You will learn to use databases to access different types of information such as newspaper articles or images, as well as information focused on a specific discipline, such as biology or psychology.

Choosing a topic for your research project is the first step in your research process! Watch the 3-minute video from University of Houston Libraries below to learn how choosing your research topic is research.

Picking a Topic is Research (2:49)

As you consider what you would like to research, remember that your research topic is not final. It will most likely change and adapt as you find sources on the open web and in the library. Be open to broadening or narrowing your topic based on the information you find!

Turn your research topic into keywords

When you search online for information, you can usually type in your full question. However, when you search in library resources, you'll have to use certain strategies to find the most relevant information.

Keywords are the important words or phrases that you use to search for information in library resources. They describe the key concepts in your research topic. When you search for information using keywords any item containing the keyword in the title, abstract, author, text, etc. will be listed in your search results.

When generating keywords...

Extract single words or short phrases.
Begin by pinpointing the central concepts in your topic or research question.
Experiment with different synonyms.
Try thinking of synonyms (words that have the same meaning as another word) of your keywords. Also try brainstorming spelling variants or acronyms.
Think of related terms to describe your topic.
What are some other topics or areas related to your research? The related terms may be more specific or less specific than the original terms found in your research question.

Watch the 'Crafting a Saavy Search Strategy: Part 1' video from UCLA Library below for a demonstration on how to turn your research topic into search terms.

Crafting a Savvy Search Strategy: Part 1 (3:25)