Topic Selection

Think about the last time you went down an internet "rabbit hole." Maybe you got deep into a trove of Phillies stats, or Swiftie trivia or maybe you wanted to know about every movie your favorite new star has ever appeared in. When we really care about something, we naturally want to know more about it!

For this reason, selecting a topic is one of the most crucial steps in the research process. You will be working with this topic for the next several months, so it is REALLY important that you are truly interested in it. Don't just choose a topic because it's familiar- explore several options and read a few articles about each one. You may need to tweak your topic idea based on what you discover as you read (watch the video to the left for more about how picking your topic is research). If you're not working from a topic list, set up a meeting with the library staff about the availability of resources on your topic.

  Be sure to allocate a significant amount of time for this stage of the process (at least 45 minutes to an hour) and follow directions from your teacher about how to communicate your topic preferences. Time and intention at this stage of the process will really pay off as you continue your research.