The very first step in conducting a more “formal” research process involves choosing and defining a topic. Your topic choice affects your research processes directly. If you choose your topic well, you may have an easier time during the information gathering phase.

Things to consider:

• What's interesting to you?
  It’s less painful if you are able to choose something you are interested in, or can use for a related or later class.
• How long does your paper need to be?
  If your topic is too narrow or too broad, you may have problems having not enough or too much information.
• Timeliness/currency
  Is this topic recent enough to be relevant? Has there been enough time for material to be pubished about this topic? Is your topic outdated for your field?
• Have you been assigned a topic by a professor?
  If so, you need to complete the assignment given following your professor’s guidelines.

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