Choosing a topic in your subject area is very important. You will need to make sure that your topic is specific enough to fit into a 4,000 word paper and that it aligns with your subject area. Topics that are too broad do not lend themselves to analysis. If your topic is too broad, you may wind up just summarizing it for which you will lose marks on Criterion C (Critical Thinking).
Choosing a topic requires some "pre-search" at the beginning. These two videos break down the process of finding a research topic. There is more to it than just thinking of something you think is cool -- although that is usually a great place to start!
Databases have built-in tools to help you find a topic, narrow it, and find relevant resources at the same time!
| Tool for Gale In Context Databases | ||
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TOPIC PAGES Topic Pages have lots of different articles, videos, charts, images, infographics, and more all about a single topic and representing a variety of perspectives. These collections make it easy to find information relevant to your topic without having to worry about searching.
This tutorial video will show you how to use topic pages. |
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| Tools for Gale OneFile Databases | ||
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SUBJECT GUIDE The "subject guide search" feature in Gale OneFile databases to help you find good search terms.
This tutorial video will show you how to use the subject guide search. |
TOPIC FINDER the "topic finder" feature in Gale OneFile databases will help you find good topics and sub-topics.
This tutorial video will show you how to use use the topic finder. |
Power Search Practice these tools in the Power Search and select which Gale databases you would like to use. |
Tips for Narrowing Your Topic
Read reference sources like an encyclopedia or even Wikipedia
Ask yourself the following questions:
How to Use Wikipedia Wisely
This video explains how you can use Wikipedia in the beginning stages of your research process to help you develop background knowledge on a topic.
