The following steps can be used to find information for class assignments and research projects. Keep in mind that during the process you may need to revisit steps in order to refine your topic and/or results.
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STEP 1: CHOOSE A TOPIC
- Find a topic of interest to you. Consult:
 TIP: Be sure your topic is of manageable size and appropriate for the assignment.
- Turn your Topic into a Question. This will help focus your topic. For example, if you were interested in anxiety disorder, you might ask: What are the causes of anxiety in children?
- Identify keywords. These are the main ideas or concepts of your topic question. Keep a list of these words because you will use them when searching for information on your topic. You will also want to come up with related terms in order to expand your searching.
Example topic question: What are the causes of anxiety in children?
Keywords |
causes |
anxiety |
children |
Related terms |
agents
origin
producers
source |
fear
panic
stress
worry |
boys / girls
kids
preteens
youth |
TIP: When searching, string your keywords together with “and” rather than entering the entire research question. Mix and match terms depending on results.
Example: causes and panic and youth |
