These library tools (links below) are alternatives to Wikipedia. They offer topic overviews, background information, and help you narrow things down.
For a full list of exploratory resources see the library's Reference Databases.
Rephrase your topic in question form:
| Topic is on track when it: | Topic needs more work when it: |
| Genuinely interests you | Is confusing or not interesting to you |
| Requires you to do analysis for an answer | Has a definitive answer (Yes or No; a statistic) |
| Is focused and manageable in scope | Is vague or so large is not manageable |
Ask yourself the questions below and read the examples to get a better sense of what a focused, complex topic looks like.
|
Too Broad: There are thousands of books and articles written on the topic. |
Too narrow: There are very few things written on the topic. |
|---|---|
| E-Cigarettes and youth | What is the likelihood of teenagers who smoke e-cigarettes in Alhambra of becoming cigarette smokers into adulthood? |
| How to fix it: Do background research on vaping and youth to find subtopics that interest you. Narrow it down by focusing on a population, age-group, location, etc. | How to fix it: Consider which aspects of the topic interest you more broadly. In this example, removing the locational boundary of Alhambra would help. |
Red flags: The answer to your question is YES or NO, or it is a simple statistic. For example:
Identify 2-4 keywords in your research question. These should be the 'meaty' concepts and come directly out of your research question. Avoid terms like "increase," "impact," or "effect." These words are connectors (not major concepts) and are not useful in searches.
Example: To what extent if any does vaping increase youths' risks of becoming cigarette smokers?
| Search Terms | Other Useful Terms |
| vaping | vape pens, e-cigarettes, electronic |
| youth | teens, young adults |
| cigarette | smoking, smoker, tobacco |
Video courtesy of North Carolina State University Libraries