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Email: nvc-library@alamo.edu
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Book-a-Librarian (30 min. w/ librarian)
Choose a Topic that Interests You
One of the great things about being a college student is having the opportunity to research topics that interest you. Sure, your instructor may ask you to focus on a particular issue, like "Gun Control," but how you go about researching and what you choose to focus on related to that issue is up to you.
When you begin choosing your topic, make sure you understand what the assignment is asking you to do. Are you writing an informative essay? Are you comparing a primary and a secondary source? And how many resources are you required to use?
Read through the background information.
Take a few minutes to search through books, newspapers, magazines, even online, to see if there will be enough information available for you to finish your paper. If there aren't many sources available try broadening your topic. On the other hand, if you notice that there is an overwhelming amount of information about your topic you may need to narrow it down.
Example Topic: Health Benefits of Medical Marijuana.
Example Instructions: Find three peer-reviewed journal articles about the health benefits of medical marijuana.
Write out your topic as a statement and choose your keywords
Once you have finalized your topic, write it out as a sentence or a question. This will allow you to focus on the main ideas and brainstorm some keywords and related terms. Keywords will help you when you begin searching for information later on.
Keyword Examples:
