CHOOSE A TOPIC
Understand your assignment parameters, requirements, and due dates.
Choose something you are interested in.
Start from the assignment due date and work your way back. Think about the time you will need for research, writing, editing, and allow time for questions that may arise.
Keep in mind your topic may change as you research and write.
Pick a few topics you want to explore further and then find background information and refine your topic to see if you want to continue down that path. If not, try out a different topic until you find one you like.
CONDUCT BACKGROUND RESEARCH
Search for news articles, top hits on Google, and encyclopedia articles.
Source Reference: Source Reference is a great place to start out when looking for background information. It not only has general information like you would find on Wikipedia, but on Source Reference, you know that every entry was written by a noted expert in their field. Source Reference also has topic pages and Mind Maps that let you see connections between and among related topics and subtopics.
REFINE YOUR TOPIC
Narrow down what you want to investigate. Think about the who, what, when, where, and why for your topic.
