Chapter 17: Starting Your Research

Chapter 17: Starting Your Research

1. Find a Topic That Fascinates You

   • If you've been assigned a topic, study the instructions carefully so that you understand exactly what you are required to do.
     • Does the assignment give you a list of specific topics to choose from or a general topic or theme to address? Does it specify the Research Methods? numbers and kinds of sources? a genre in which to write up your findings?
       • Even if you've been assigned a particular topic and told how to go about researching it, you'll likely still need to decide what aspects of the topic you'll focus on
   • If you get to choose your topic, think of it as an opportunity to learn about something that intrigues you. Consider topics related to your major, or to personal or professional interests
     • Examples: Are you a hunter who is concerned about legislation that impacts land rights in your hometown? Do the restrictions on downloading files from the internet affect you such that you'd like to understand the multiple sides of the issue?
     • Try to pick one that has not been overdone. Pick a topic that is still being debated: the fact that people are still talking about it will ensure that it's something others care about as well

2. Consider Your Rhetorical Situation

   • Think about your rhetorical situation, starting with the requirements of the assignment. You might now know your genre or stance about a topic, but thinking about those things will help you when narrowing your topic and figuring out a research question
     • Audience: Who will be reading what you write? What expectations might they have, and what will they likely know about your topic? What kinds of sources will they consider credible?
     • Purpose: What do you hope to accomplish by doing this research? Are you trying to report on the topic? Argue a position? analyze the causes of something? something else?
     • Genre: Have you been assigned to write in a particular genre? Will you argue a position? narrate a historical event? analyze some kind of date? report information?
     • Stance: What is your attitude toward the topic-and toward your audience? How can you establish your authority with them, and how do you want them to see you? As a neutral researcher? an advocate for a cause
     • Context: Do you have any length requirements? When is the due date? What other research has been done on your topic, and how does that affect the direction your research takes?
     • Media: Are you required to use a certain medium? If not, what media will be most appropriate for your audience, your topic, and what you have to say about it? Will you want or need to include links to other information? audio? video?
     • Design: Will you include photographs or other illustrations? present any data in charts or graphs? highlight any parts of the text? use headings or lists? Are you working in a discipline with any specific format requirements?

3. Narrow Your Topic

   • A good academic research topic needs to be substantive enough that you can find adequate information but not so broad that you become overwhelmed by the number of sources you find.
     • One way to find an aspect of a topic that interests you is to scan the subtopics listed in online search results.Your goal is to move from a too-general topic to a manageable one
       • Just as a topic that is too broad yield an overwhelming number of sources, one that is too narrow will yield too little information
     • Another way of narrowing a topic is to think about what you already know. Have you had any experiences related to your topic? read about it? heard about it? talked with friends about it

4. Do Some Background Research

   • Becoming familiar with some existing research on your topic can provide valuable background information and give you an overview of the topic issues that have not been researched-or perhaps even identified. Your goal should be to see your topic in a larger context and to begin formulating questions to guide the rest of your research
     • Take a look at encyclopedias, almanacs, and other reference works, which can provide an overview of your topic and point you forward to specific areas where you might want to follow up
     • Take a look through the internet. Such sites can be helpful in the early stages of research because they link to additional sources and will often summarize any controversies around a topic
     • Begin your background research by reading articles in popular news magazines to get a sense of who's talking about the topic and what they are saying

5. Articulate a Question Your Research Will Answer

   • Once you have sufficiently narrowed your topic, you will need to turn it into a question that will guide your research.
     • Start by asking yourself what you'd like to know about your topic. A good research question should be simple and focused but not something that can be answered in directly such as yes or no. Ask an open ended question that will lead you to gather more information and explore multiple perspectives on your topic
       • Keep your rhetorical context in mind as you work to be sure your research question is manageable in the time you have and narrow or open enough to address in the number of pages you plan to write. Consider also any genre requirements
         • Once you have settled on a research question, your next step is to do some more research. Keeping your question in mind will help you stay focused as you search. Your goal at this point is to look for a possible answers to your question.

6. Plot Out a Working Thesis

   • Begin to think about what answers are emerging.
     • Once you have found the best possible answer, you must turn it into a working thesis. Your working thesis will not necessarily be your final thesis as you conduct more research, you make find more support for it, but you may find new information that prompts you to rethink the position you take

7. Establish A Schedule

   • Establishing a schedule will help you break your research into manageable steps, stay organized, and focus on the task at hand, and meet all your deadlines along the way