Librarian's Corner
Think of a research topic that you feel strongly about.
As scholars, how can you engage with current research on the topic?
How can you add to the body of knowledge on this field?
Brainstorm potential ideas relating to what you have found most interesting in the course materials.
My research topic: Challenges faced by West African women political leaders in economic development
Research Plan
The research process is a series of multiple steps. Look at creating a research plan. Your instructor may have given you a topic/question to research or the freedom to come up with your own topic/question. Just take a few moments to think about the following:
- What am I trying to accomplish?
- How interested am I in this idea?
- How much time do I have?
- What information and resources are available?
- Does your issue have sub-topics that you need to know more about?
- What is the assigned length of the research paper?
Research Process
Research strategy: Finding information efficiently
- Identify your broader topic.
- Narrow the focus of your topic. Pick what aspect of your broader topic you wish to focus on.
- Become more familiar with your topic. List out all relevant core concepts. These will become your search terms!
- Discover secondary sources: books at Cornell
- Discover secondary sources: articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers
- Putting it together: evaluate, manage, and cite your sources.