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Starting Research Right

Test Your Topic 

Before settling on a topic, do a bit of research.  Ask yourself ...

  • Do I understand all the main points of my topic?  What do I already know about it?
  • Do I need to do any background research on the concepts or ideas?  What else do I need to find out before I can get started?
  • Is this a current or historical topic (or both)?  How new or old do my sources need to be?
  • Have other people already written about this topic?  Are enough appropriate sources available?
  • What are the “talking points” around the topic?

Activity:

Try looking up your topic in a search engine, encyclopedia, or dictionary.  How many sources are out there, and what kind?  Will they help you research this topic?