Defining Your Topic
Often the most difficult part of the research process is to define your topic. What do you want to write about? Where can you find in some ideas for a topic?
Useful Sources for Finding Ideas: Books
10,000 Ideas for Term Papers by Kathryn Lamm Ref LB 1047.3 .L35 1991)
The following listed series are all useful for finding beginning information on a wide variety of controversial topics. General they each contain essays which present both points of view of the issues being covered. You can locate them in the Library Catalog accessed on the library page, by typing in the series name and search by title.
| Current Controversies | Opposing Viewpoints Series |
| Ideas in Conflict | Taking Sides Series |
| Opposing Viewpoints Series |
Define your topic in a short clear statement Once you have identified your topic, you need to carefully analysis your topic and choose those words and short phrases which best define it. Define your topic in a short clear statement
example: I would like to find information about anorexia and teenage girls and what influences them.
Identify concepts Once you have stated you topic in a sentence, you should identify your topic list in concepts. You can then search for synonyms and related terms which you can use as the keywords for your search.
concepts: teenage girls / eating disorders / influences
related terms: teenagers / anorexia / bulimia