Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library: Engineering 100W: Topic Development

Topic Development Process

I need help choosing a topic...
How do you decide what to write about when confronted with a research paper? This article details considerations and strategies to use when selecting a topic.
Narrowing or broadening my topic...
How do you broaden or narrow your topic? This article has strategies for broadening your topic if there is not enough published information available, or narrowing your topic if it is unwieldy.

Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Provides an excellent first-step in researching any current social issue. Includes pro-con articles, opinion pieces, newspaper pieces, scholarly articles and information from many other types of sources, all full text.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
This weekly publication gives background information on current and controversial issues. Unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy.

You can use library databases to conduct in-depth, exploratory research about your topic.