BILS: Refining a topic

 

Step 1: Identify a Topic

• Discuss topic ideas with your class instructor
• Look through current periodicals in your subject area
• Look in subject encyclopedias
• Search CUB Cat for books on current issues. Search by title for Contemporary World Issues, Current Controversies, Hot Topics, Library in a Book, Opposing Viewpoints, or Reference Shelf Series.

Your topic will start out broad. The next 3 steps will help you begin to narrow it.

What's the Ultimate Goal? To Form a thesis statement!

Your thesis statement will be your main argument or claim about your topic. You should support it with evidence or reasons that you will find in books, journals, newspapers, magazines, and possibly the Web.

You can't form a thesis statement until you do some preliminary research to learn more about your topic and to narrow it down.

So, let's get started!