Students often struggle with choosing topics for research assignments. First, it is always a great idea to sit down and write out a list of topics, events, people, or ideas that you might be interested in researching. Of course if you have a specific assignment, you want to FIRST read through the assignment details carefully. When you review an assignment, take time to annotate the assignment or prompt--this way you will be able to ask questions as well as highlight the key aspects of or steps in the assignment. Often asking a teacher or professor is what leads us to our research topic--talk about your ideas with them and anyone else who will listen:)!
When we have a lot of freedom to choose topics, this is when it helps to think about recent books that we have read, films that we have seen, articles or posts that we have read, or even conversations that we have had. The smallest idea or reference can lead us to a topic or question that we might want to investigate.
You can also get ideas from people around you such as family, friends, colleagues. Maybe someone is active in a group or just read a great article that mentions something that you might enjoy researching.
Most important is to make sure that we truly are interested in a question or topic. As I always tell my students, if we choose a topic that we are not at all interested in, it will make our research and writing very difficult.
So, allow yourself time to really explore your own hobbies, interests, or questions. The smallest detail or question can lead us to a topic, so when you are brainstorming, let your mind wander freely.
If you are asked to research a text/book/piece of writing or concept that you have read in a class, return to your notes. You also can find new questions when you re-read the text/concept, so this will be an essential part of finding your research topic.
