Sometimes the most difficult part of the research process is simply getting started. If you are struggling, try some of the suggestions below.
Make sure you understand the assignment
The first thing you should do is make sure you understand the assignment. Key questions to ask yourself are:
When in doubt, consult with your instructor.
(It's a good idea to take the answers to the above questions into a checklist. This will help ensure you don't have gaps in either the type of resources you collect, or the components of your paper. If your instructor has supplied the Library with a checklist for this assignment, you can locate that in the box title "Argumentative Essay Checklists by Instructor" on the the left-hand side of this page.)
Finding background information
Especially if a topic is new or unfamiliar to you, it's a good idea to look at some broad overviews of possible topics before you start trying to settle on one. This doesn't mean you should check out a bunch of books on different topics.
Instead, you want to read some short, overview articles published by reputable scholars. (We usually call this type of material a "Reference" resource.) Listed below are some solid Reference sources available to you as a UACCM student.
World Book Advanced is a collection of reference materials including encyclopedia, multimedia, eBooks, and primary source documents.
Off campus access for Arkansans through the ASL Traveler Database Project.
Health & Wellness Resource Center
Health and Wellness Resource Center is an in-depth, user-friendly resource that provides access to health and wellness information from authoritative medical sources. Find magazines, pamphlets, journals, and websites for health research.
Off campus access requires your UACCM username and password.
General Reference Center provides access to newspapers, reference books, and periodicals covering the latest on current events, popular culture, business and industry coverage, the arts and sciences, sports, hobbies, and more.
Off campus access requires your UACCM username and password.
Print Reference
In addition to the online sources above, we have a large Print Reference collection in the library. Sometimes, if you can't find what you need online...you can find it in a book. For background research, the best thing to do is figure out what broad subject area you're researching, and then browse the Reference collection in that specific area. Library personnel can help you find the Reference section.
Refine your topic
If you are finding too much information, your research topic may be too broad. Consider narrowing it to a more specific:
| Time | Civil War, Iron Age, 1920's, 18th Century |
| Location | Europe, U.S., Denver, urban, eastern |
| Population | age, race, gender, nationality, ethnic group, occupation |
| Event or Aspect | government regulations related to dietary guidelines |
| Person or Group | young adults, elderly, childhood |
Broad Topic: Exercise
Narrower Topic: How has an increased emphasis on the importance of exercise among children impacted childhood obesity rates?
"Develop a Topic" and subpages adapted from the JWU's "Research Process" libguide.