The Research Process
Using "background information" to find a research topic
Choosing a topic can be difficult! Background research is meant to help us move through this step and prepare us for searching in the library databases. Here are a few tips for choosing a topic:
- Think about Kinesiology or health-related topics you have a personal connection with. Is there anything that affects you or people you know that you would like to learn more about?
- Read the news! Have you heard about something of interest through social media or news lately?
- Browse CQ Researcher or Gale Virtual Reference Library for current topics of interest.
- Browse the "Health and Medicine" category of Procon.org.
- Wikipedia can be a great source to learn more about a particular topic. However, you should NEVER include a Wikipedia entry in your paper or references.
Important note! Most of the sources you consult during this "background research" phase will not end up in your paper. However, without consulting these sources, we wouldn't know enough about the topic to narrow it down or choose keywords for the database.
Reference databases
- CQ ResearcherExplores a single hot issue in the news in-depth each week. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology.
- Gale Virtual Reference LibraryGale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.