Now that you understand the assignment requirements, it's time to pick a topic! Because you will be working with this topic for the foreseeable future, it's important to pick one that is interesting to you and that has enough written on it.
For topic ideas look in your textbooks, talk with a friend or relative, browse news sites, or try these:
Unfamiliar with your topic? Use an encyclopedia to gather some background information that explains issues related to your topic. Wikipedia's fine, just remember you can't use it as a source in academic papers.
Are you finding enough information? Too much? You may need to broaden or narrow your topic:
A thesis statement is:
Call Number - number that corresponds to the book's topic and can be used to locate the book in the library's stacks.
Stacks - library book collections are organized on shelves called "stacks."
Plagiarism - the presentation of another person's ideas, work, or words as one's own work without providing proper citations.
Citation - a citation provides information about your source material including title, author, and publication information, arranged in a specific format.
Research - the process of searching for and locating needed information; managing, analyzing and evaluating the information; and using the information for a specific purpose.
Peer Review - a process in which articles submitted to a journal are reviewed by scholars in the author's field prior to publication. This helps to ensure that each article meets high standards for quality, accuracy, and relevance.
Research Guides - online subject guides provided by Allara Library. These guides can be used to determine recommended library resources for different subjects.