Defining a topic

What pops up on TikTok's For You page? What tags do you follow on X? What posts do you see on the Instagram explore page? 

This is all part of what interests you. Think about these things and see if you can connect that interest to the requirements of the project.  Use this Topic Exploration Choice Board to spark your curiosity!

For example, if you like food, you may be interested in the topic of rising food costs. Start with that topic and search around in that area.  

Use our online databases to browse a range of topics and subtopics.  

You will  find it helpful to do some preliminary searching in order to find out what information exists on a given topic. If you're not finding what you expected, try a new search term, or ask for help. It's also the perfect time to get organized and set yourself up for academic success. 

Remember, when you start researching you're not stuck to your initial topic. You may find that your topic is too broad or narrow and you'll have to go back and refine it. Don't stress! That's just part of the process that all great researchers begin with.  T

Need help formulating your research question?  Try using this from UConn.