Getting started and choosing a topic

What makes a good topic?

Different people may have different ideas about what makes a good topic. Your instructor may want you to tackle a research area currently in the news. You may prefer to explore historical events. In general, a good topic may address these practical issues:

1. Does it fit the requirements for the paper or assignment? It's always wise to get your instructor's approval before you spend a lot of time on something that won't be acceptable.

2. Are there enough resources available on the topic? This question especially applies to projects requiring library research. Do a quick check of the following to determine if you will have enough material to work with:
   1. Library catalog. The library's catalog for books on your topic. How many books are available? Are there recently published books that will provide the most up-to-date review of the research on the topic? For more information, see our tutorial on Searching the Library Catalog.

   2. Databases. Databases are excellent sources of current research on a topic, especially research found in specialized journals in the field. Do some quick searches in one or more databases that cover the subject area well. For more information, see our tutorials on Selecting a Database and Searching a Database.

   3. Literature Reviews. Articles which review the significant research in an area are called literature reviews. They are excellent places to start your research. For example, if you are researching downsizing in organizations, you might enter the phrase downsizing and review into a database to try to retrieve a literature review on the topic.

3. Is it an important and worthwhile topic? This factor is very important at the senior and graduate level where your thesis may be part of a larger research project in the department.

4. Are you interested in the topic? If you have a choice, find a subject that interests you. It's hard to get motivated if you don't care about what you are doing. Think about choosing a topic that will help you gain expertise in an area that will be useful in the future.