Research Guides: English 205 (Carmichael): Getting Started

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Jeannette Moss

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Subjects: International Studies, Linguistics, Political Science, Slavic

Tracy Coyne

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tracy-coyne@northwestern.edu
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Subjects: Counseling, Data Science, Global Health (SPS), Health Analytics, Health Informatics, Healthcare Administration (HCA), Information Design and Strategy, Information Systems, Sports Administration

Develop your research question / Narrow your topic

[Relevant Information Literacy Frame: RESEARCH AS INQUIRY]
[Relevant Information Literacy Frame: SEARCHING AS STRATEGIC EXPLORATION]

Somewhere in between your initial idea and settling on a research question, you'll need to do background research on how scholars in a particular subject area have discussed your topic. You may find background research in your textbook or class readings, academic books in the library's collection, or reference sources.

The databases below compile reference sources from a variety of disciplines, and they can be a great way to consider how your topic has been studied from different angles.

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Searchable database of several hundred subject encyclopedias and other reference works across all subject areas, but with particular strengths in the social sciences and humanities. It includes a number of major reference works, and is Northwesterns largest single collection of reference materials. A good source for authoritative background information.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Online version of many Oxford University Press reference works, ranging from specialized dictionaries and companions to major reference works such as the Encyclopedia of Human Rights, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States, and the Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History, among many others.
CQ Researcher Plus Archive This link opens in a new window
The CQ Researcher is a collection of reports covering political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy.

Use NU Search to browse for books, reference entries, and periodicals to build background information.

[Relevant Information Literacy Frame: RESEARCH AS INQUIRY]

[Relevant Information Literacy Frame: SEARCHING AS STRATEGIC EXPLORATION]

After you have an initial project idea, you can think deeper about the idea by developing a "Topic + Question + Significance" sentence. This formula came from Kate Turabian's Student's Guide to Writing College Papers. Turabian notes that you can use it plan and test your question, but do not incorporate this sentence directly into your paper (p. 13):

TOPIC: I am working on the topic of __________,
QUESTION: because I want to find out __________,
SIGNIFICANCE: so that I can help others understand __________.

Remember: the shorter your final paper, the narrower your topic needs to be. Having trouble?

Which specific subset of the topic you can focus on? Specific people, places, or times?
Is there a cause and effect relationship you can explore?
Is there something about this topic that is not addressed in scholarship?

Turabian, Kate L. Student's Guide to Writing College Papers. 4th edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2010.

Additional things to think about when you need to narrow down your topic!

From USC Library: "Strategies for narrowing down your topic."

[Relevant Information Literacy Frame: SEARCHING AS STRATEGIC EXPLORATION]

How do you move from a research question to searching in a database? You first have to pick out keywords from your research question.