Research Skills Center

The first step of the research process is to select a topic to research.  This is often the hardest step.  To get started, you should:

1. Review the assignment instructions and understand the scope and context of the assignment
2. Identify what you need for your assignment
3. Choose a topic of interest to you

You can begin with a broad topic idea and then narrow to a more specific aspect of that topic. Start with:

• What do you already know about the topic? (You may need to do some preliminary or background research first)
• What aspects of the topic would fit your assignment scope? You can consider more specific research questions related to the topic that meet the requirements of your assignment. Typical types of assignments include: comparison, cause and effect, measuring (i.e. impact), and process.  The research question should be open-ended (not just yes or no), address an issue or solve a problem.