Library Research Guide |
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Students may be assigned very specific topics for research or given free reign for choosing a topic. It is up to the student to be clear about the expectations of the teacher’s assignment. Before beginning, go back and reread the assignment sheet. If anything about the assignment seems unclear, speak to your teacher for clarification before you begin. You do not want to waste your time doing the wrong assignment.
Every assigned topic, even those that seem narrow, has flexibility. So choose a topic or narrow an assigned topic so that it is of interest to you, or choose one that you want to learn more about. Research is especially difficult if you choose a topic in which you have no interest.
Brainstorm and list 3-5 questions about your topic that you want to learn more about. These questions should be broad and open-ended, meaning there should be multiple ways to answer these questions.
Example:
Topic: Ernesto “Che” Guevara
Questions:
Why has the image of Che become so popular?
What was Che’s philosophy?
What experiences led Che to become the principal revolutionary in Latin American history?
What role did Che play in the Cuban Revolution and later in the new Cuban government?
What were Che’s goals?
Did the new Cuban government of which Che was a part fix the problems of the former regime?