When you're assigned a search, the first thing to do is find an interesting topic to cover. A research is simply an essay in which to expose a topic, backing up your claims with what other sources have said and stated. When you first find yourself writing research, your teachers will likely want to consider whether you can summarize other people's ideas in a coherent text. As you progress through your school career, however, professors will take into consideration the ability to develop autonomous topics, using the ideas of others as support.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Get an Idea
Step 1. Read to get the basics
To find a topic for a search, it is important to first read something about it. If your class is reading an introductory text, you can use it to get an idea. If not, you can always find some reading to do on your own. Look around until you find something that catches your attention.
Read as much as possible. You can also use search engines and sites like Wikipedia. You will find enough information to understand if you like a topic or not
Step 2. Try to narrow down your field of investigation
Once your readings are complete, it's time to narrow down your area of interest. You can choose a topic you like and then go deeper and deeper until you find something worth writing about.
- For example, if you are taking an "Introduction to Psychology" course, you may choose to pursue behavioral psychology based on your reading.
- Once you've established a general area of interest, you can begin to narrow your scope more and more. For example, in the area of behavioral psychology, you may decide to focus only on B. F. Skinner.
- Make a list of everything that interests you on the subject. You may find the classical air conditioning sector interesting, or you may think that a specific experiment is really fascinating.
Step 3. Use a bubble diagram to help you come up with new ideas
Get a blank sheet. Draw your main idea in a bubble in the center of the paper. Draw a line from the main idea and create another bubble. In this bubble, note some interesting elements related to the main idea.
- Keep drawing bubbles and adding new ideas. Sometimes you will be able to add your ideas to secondary bubbles, rather than directly to the main one. You can expand your ideas more and more; a good way to go is to focus on a secondary idea that you find interesting and develop it in depth.
- For example, in the main bubble you can write "B. F. Skinner and behavioral psychology". In a secondary bubble you could then enter "The Reinforcement Principle" and in another "Radical Behaviorism".
Step 4. Continue adding new ideas to your bubble diagram
Keep working on the bubble chart, even when you think you're done. If you try hard to keep thinking and writing, you will find many other interesting ideas. The more ideas you come up with, the more chances you will have of finding a valid research topic of interest.
- When you get to the point where you no longer know what to add, consider the bubble diagram as a whole. Which areas are most developed? Which do you find most interesting? Is it possible to combine certain areas to make a compelling argument?
- Circle the best ideas. Be careful not to choose too large a topic, as you may be overwhelmed by an excessive amount of information and have a hard time focusing on a single topic.
Part 2 of 2: Deepen Your Idea
Step 1. Start researching the main idea
Unlike what you did in the reading phase, you should start reading more serious texts. Try looking for them in the library.
Step 2. Get an idea of industry publications
Check the databases for specific articles. Don't just search for the topic on Google or Wikipedia.
- Most libraries have databases available to users. In some cases you may need to register or, more rarely, to be physically in the library in question in order to use them.
- Larger databases, such as those of universities, are divided into many smaller databases.
Step 3. Use keywords to find articles related to your topic
Libraries often offer databases on everything from business and humanities to psychology. In the advanced search options you can choose the sector on which to focus your searches. Always try different combinations of keywords; this way you will have a better chance of finding interesting results.
Step 4. Write down the results and use them to select a topic
As you take notes, you can begin to notice the topics the authors cite each other about and where different ideas come together. Choose one of these intersection zones as your topic. Keep researching until you have enough material to write your essay.
Step 5. Try to deal with the topic you have chosen in an original way
If you're in high school or junior high, your topic doesn't have to be original, as your teachers will primarily want to evaluate your ability to develop a theme throughout the essay. At university, however, the originality of the subject is paramount.
- It's important that your topic hasn't already been covered hundreds of times, so be careful when choosing what to talk about. As you do your research, however, you should be able to get an idea of the topics already covered - this will make it easier for you to write something original.
- For example, on B. F. Skinner have already written numerous articles for sure; your idea, however, may be different in the way you choose to treat it. You could apply your analysis to a textual excerpt, or examine it in relation to modern-day pop culture. The cut you will give to your research can and must be original.
Step 6. Choose a topic you like
Make sure you like the topic, as you will have to spend a lot of time working on it. There is no need to research a topic that doesn't interest you in the slightest, as your lack of involvement is sure to emerge in the essay.
