Connelly Library

The first step of research is understanding its purpose.

Ask yourself: Why are you looking for information, and what will you need to do with it? This can  be almost anything, but in school it often means ensuring you understand your assignment.

Key things to check: Have you been assigned a topic, or do you need to choose one? How many sources are required, and what types? How long should your paper be, and are there any other specific requirements?

These details should be in your assignment, but if anything is unclear, don't be afraid to ask your professor—they are the best person to clarify your questions.

Sometimes you'll be assigned a topic, but other times you'll need to choose one yourself. Choose something that genuinely interests you! Your topic should be narrow enough to cover within your assignment but broad enough to find ample information. Start with background research on topics that spark your interest. This can inspire new ideas and help you fine-tune your topic to make it more focused and manageable. Reference sources like encyclopedias or even your course textbook can provide valuable context. 

To conduct background research, start by searching for your proposed topic in Research Explorer on the library's homepage.

Often, this will produce a "Research Starter" at the top of the search results, which is an entry from an encyclopedia.

If you don't see a Research Starter or need more background sources, use the "Source Type" filter at the top of the page to select "Research Starters."

Other reference sources like your course textbook or even Wikipedia can also be useful for background research.

Keep in mind that reference sources used for background research are generally not cited in your paper.

Research questions help focus and direct your research. They should be clear, specific, and answerable through sources available, defining your objectives and guiding your search and analysis process.