Choosing a Topic
This page will take you through the process of topic exploration.
You will follow these steps:
- Browse and select a broad topic
- Explore the broad topic to learn a little bit about it and identify sub-topics
- Select a sub-topic and move forward with your background research
Use this worksheet to keep track of your notes on your own topic exploration:
Topic exploration can provide a basic understanding of the various aspects of your topic and give you a basic vocabulary of the topic that will help you in later searching. One of the best places to start is Wikipedia. Most Wikipedia entries include basic facts (who, what, where, when, why and how) along with vocabulary and references. While we strongly recommend that you start with Wikipedia, it won't be one of the references in your reference list. What you learn in a Wikipedia entry will be too general to be cited as a source.
This short video will also explain the process to select a topic for a research assignment.
The websites below offer a variety of subject areas for you to explore for topics.
- The ConversationA site with trustworthy and informative articles about a variety of topics written by academic experts for the general public. Browse the different topic areas by selecting a subject at the top of the page.
- Psychology TodayPsychology Today is a magazine with mental health and behavioral science topics. This is a great place to start if you're interested in psychology, human behavior, relationships, mental health and related topics. Browse the articles on the home page, or select the Magazine to look through any issue.
- Smithsonian MagazineThe Smithsonian Magazine covers topics that have been studied and exhibited by the Smithsonian Museums. Topics includes history, arts, sciences, pop culture and innovation.
- NPR: National Public RadioNPR is an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to create a more informed public. This is a great place for current events.
Topic exploration gives you a chance to learn a little about your topic before deciding on a final topic for your assignment. Use the questions below, or the Topic Exploration Worksheet to guide you in topic exploration.
What is your draft topic?
- What do you already know about your topic?
- What questions do you have about the topic? Think about the 5 Ws: who, what, where, when, why
Now is a great time to start a mind map with what you know and you'll add to it as you move through the next steps of exploration.
Exploration: Wikipedia
Find a Wikipedia* entry that is related to your topic
- What is the name of the entry?
- What are 3 important or interesting things about the topic?
- What are 2-3 keywords that describe your topic?
* Wikipedia is a great source for topic exploration - it has basic facts, background information and, often, a lot of references that will lead you to better sources. But it’s not appropriate to use it as a reference in your assignment.
More Exploration: Search Engine
Use your favorite search engine to find a website about your topic.
- What is the name of the website?
- What are 3 important or interesting things about the topic?
- What are 2-3 keywords that describe your topic?
- Based on what you learned, write down 2-3 possible subtopics that you want to investigate further
Final Topic
Once you have investigated your subtopics, choose one that you'd like to learn more about. Write a short description of the topic you will research.
When making your final selection for your topic, remember that this is something you will be learning more about for a few weeks to a few months. Make sure that you find it interesting and want to learn more about it.
At each step in the research process, your topic will continue to evolve. Topic exploration will take you through an evolution of your topic from a big idea to a smaller idea, and after some background research, a research question.