Your Research Project by 
Student's Guide to Writing College Papers by 
One of the most important steps you can take to write an affective paper is actually one of the easiest. Picking a great topic will help you immeasurably as you continue with your writing and presenting process. Here are some general guidelines:
1. Pick a topic that you are interested in, perhaps in your major field or a subject you have always wanted to know more about.
2. Pick a topic about which you need to learn. If you feel that you are already an expert in your topic, your research will be an afterthought and you may not be as open to looking at all sides of an issue.
3. Pick a topic about which you can make an argument. You have grown beyond reports on butterflies or planets.
4. Pick a topic which is neither too broad nor too narrow. Too broad: I want to write about homosexual marriage. Too narrow: What effect does being raised with same-sex parents have on junior high aged Asian girls in Texas? About right: Gay couples who go through a commitment or marriage ceremony stay together longer than heterosexual couples.
5. Get a broad overview of the subject. See the box below for some places to get a good overview.
6. Begin to list keywords on your topic. Keywords are very important when it comes to locating the best sources possible. Good keywords are subject-specific (i.e. "gay marriage" "homosexuals and marriage" "homosexuals and adoption," etc.). Keywords such as "study," "find," "source," or "research" are not good keywords because they are not subject-specific. See the box to the left for a worksheet on deriving your keywords.
If you are having a hard time getting started, or run into a road block with your topic get direct help! Schedule a Research Consultation with your subject librarian to get one-on-one assistance.