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Choosing a research topic
Picking a topic is research. Narrowing, widening, or otherwise adjusting your topic is a normal part of the process as you collect more information and prepare to write your paper. Starting with a topic you're interested in and giving yourself enough time to learn and make changes can make a big difference in the quality of your final project. Learn more about the research process with the short video below.
Search strategies
Example question:
What are ways artificial intelligence could affect employment?
Identify the concepts that are essential to your question. Those are your keywords:
What are ways artificial intelligence could affect employment?
Simple Search Tips:
Type AND between each keyword to ensure results address all key concepts:
artificial intelligence AND employment
Use quotation marks to ensure phrases or connected words stay together:
"artificial intelligence" AND employment
Use synonyms and related terms to broaden your search and see new results:
"artificial intelligence" AND jobs
"artificial intelligence" AND unemployment
"artificial intelligence" AND underemployment
Advanced Search Tips:
Use OR to search for synonyms or related terms all at once:
employment OR jobs OR unemployment OR underemployment
Use NOT to indicate terms you want to exclude from your results:
"artificial intelligence" NOT ChatGPT
Use an asterisk to truncate terms
tech* (the database will search for all words that start with tech, like technology, technologies, technical, etc.)
Use parentheses to group keywords together:
("artificial intelligence" OR AI) AND (employment OR jobs OR unemployment OR underemployment)
Try it step by step:
- What is your research question?
- Does social media promote anxiety among teenagers?
- Identify the key concepts. These are the parts of your question that are essential to your research.
- Does social media promote anxiety among teenagers?
- Brainstorm synonyms and related terms for each key concept
- Social media: social networks, Instagram, TikTok
- Anxiety: stress, fear, worry
- Teenagers: teens, adolescents, young adults
- Use the search tips to put it all together
- Simple search: "social media" AND anxiety AND teenagers
- Advanced search: ("social media" OR "social network" OR Instagram OR TikTok) AND (anxiety OR stress OR fear OR worry) AND (teenagers OR teens OR adolescents OR "young adults")
- Use the database filters to narrow down your result list to the most relevant sources.
- Don't forget: research is an iterative process. That means that what you learn from one search can impact your next search. Refining or tweaking your search - or even your topic - based on what you find in your search results is a normal part of the research process.
Start searching
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowA multi-disciplinary database which offers information in many areas of academic study. This database supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing access to journals, periodicals, reports, books and more. (VIVA)
- ProQuest Research Library & Global Newsstream This link opens in a new windowLarge collection of magazines, journals, and newspapers, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and many regional newspapers. (NVCC)
- Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new windowDetailed reports on controversial issues in the news. (VCCS)
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window(Formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) includes full-text encyclopedias, handbooks, and other sources for multidisciplinary research. (VIVA, NVCC)
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