ENGL 2/3 (Kekaha): Get Started / Choosing a Topic

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I cannot stress enough how important picking your topic is. You should choose an inquiry topic based on the requirements of your assignment as well as your interest in the topic. Your assignment will require you to find peer reviewed sources (also called "scholarly" sources). Be careful of the following criterial when choosing your inquiry topic:

• A topic that is too current will not have peer reviewed sources published yet because quality research takes time to publish (for example: Is Pres. Trump's rhetoric about the border wall affecting the mental health of immigrants seeking asylum?);
• A topic too local may not have peer reviewed sources (for example: How has the Camp Fire affected charitable giving in Butte County? Instead you may want to look at natural disasters in general); and/or
• A topic too popular may not be academic enough to have peer reviewed sources written about the topic (for example: Are there emotional benefits to binge watching TV?).

Watch the video below on tips for picking a good topic:

Video provided by NCSU Libraries

To become more familiar with your topic, you should become familiar with the jargon, important events, people, places, etc. Reference sources such as encyclopedias and Wikipedia are a good place to start when familiarizing yourself with your topic. Below are a few of the online reference sources the library subscribes to.