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CNX 100 - Information Literacy Guide

Starting Research - Exploring Topics

Where should you look look for topic ideas?

  1. Brainstorm - Thinking through all of your ideas before deciding what route you want to take your research will help produce a more defined research topic. 
    • Need help brainstorming? Check out Credo's Mind Map. Just enter a few keywords into the search bar to find other related keywords. Clicking on those keywords will open to a reference source for you to learn more about the topics
    • Talking about your ideas with your classmates is another great way to look at your topic from a different angle. 
  2. Watch the news - Even if the topics discussed in your class are not in the news, paying attention to what is happening in the world might help you come up with a new way to approach your topic that is relevant to you. The Library has access to many newspapers across the US. 
    1. Newspaper Source
    2. Nexis Uni
    3. Proquest US Major Dailys
  3. Read through your class notes - Is there a topic that was covered weeks ago that you want to learn more about? Writing a paper about the topic is a great way to become an authority on the subject. 
  4. Look through reference articles about a general topic you are interested in. 
    1. Credo
    2. Gale Reference Center
    3. Points of View Reference Center

Topic to Research Question

Concept Maps