Prince George's Community College

301 Largo Road
Largo, Maryland 20774

The Research Process
Module 1

Selecting a Topic and Getting Background Information

 

One of the key things to remember when selecting a topic is to choose a subject that is of interest to you. It makes the research process more enjoyable and fun. You might want to consider selecting a topic that has occurred over the past several months. You can always get ideas from your instructor and/or a librarian. Click on Tools for Topic Ideas if you need help selecting a topic.

Before deciding on a specific topic for your research paper, it is important to begin with some background reading in the related broad subject area to gain familiarity with concepts and vocabulary. For example, Reference Books will point to more specialized areas of the subject and often have bibliographies to lead to additional information.

A few examples of reference sources are:

General Encyclopedias

 

Subject Encyclopedias

 

Language Dictionaries

 

Subject Dictionaries

 

Handbooks

 

Listed below are examples of online reference sources that may be useful before beginning your search strategy. Click on the links to review them.

General Encyclopedias

Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopedia.com

Subject Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Psychology
MEDLINE Plus: Medical Encyclopedia

English Language Dictionaries

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Merriam Webster Online

Special Dictionaries

Sociology Dictionary
Merriam Webster Medical Dictionary

Terrorism is a topic that is discussed frequently since September 11, 2001. To begin designing a search strategy for terrorism, you can go to a general encyclopedia or dictionary to get background information. An online dictionary such as American Heritage Dictionary gives a brief definition of terrorism. Encyclopedias such as the online Encyclopedia.com gives basic concepts for terrorism. Be sure to consult the print versions of dictionaries and encyclopedias.

You will also want to use the current and retrospective volumes of the the CQ Researcher, Current Issues, and Opposing Viewpoints located in the Reference Department of the Prince George's Community College Library to help narrow this topic. To learn how to develop this topic, go to the next page.