PSYC 2305 - Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology
Develop a Topic
This page will help you through the process of taking a rough research topic idea and developing it into a well-scoped research question for your assignment. Taking the time to develop a well thought out topic helps make the research process a little easier.
Each section will cover one of the basic steps to developing a topic:
Keep in mind that while there are steps to follow, this is not necessarily a linear process. You might have to repeat steps a few times and go back and forth as you figure out a topic that works for you.
Step 1: Select a Topic
The first part of the process is to pick an initial topic that interests you--a curious research is the best kind! Carefully review your assignment to make sure your topic is appropriate and fits the scope of the assignment. It's ok if your topic is broad at first. Watch the following video for more guidance on this process.
Video adapted from North Carolina State University Libraries’ Picking Your Topic IS Research video
Step 2: Develop Your Topic
After selecting a broad topic, develop it further through brainstorming: What do you already know about the topic? What do you want to know more about? What specific aspects of the topic are you interested in? Use the tools below to help guide your thinking.
- Know / Want to Know ToolTake note of what you already know about your topic and what you want to learn more about.
- Developing Your Topic: Info Mapping ToolUse this tool to keep track of information sources and new ideas, facts, people, events, etc. as you search. It will also help you see how your research fits together.
- Developing Your Topic: Note-Taking ToolUse this tool to keep track of information sources and new ideas, facts, people, events, etc. as you search.
- Bubbl.us Brainstorming ToolBubbl.us is an online mindmap creation tool. You can use it to help you brainstorm your ideas and topic or keep track of your research.
Step 3: Refine Your Topic
As you further develop your topic, you will start to refine it as you learn more background information. Background information is an important part of developing your topic because it helps you better understand your topic and its context, giving you basic facts and history. Sources such as encyclopedias, reports, or popular magazines can provide basic overviews and background information. These might not be sources you end up citing in a literature review or final paper, but they will help you understand the topic better so that you can find the appropriate resources.
Not sure where to start? Try some of these search tools:
- APA PsycBooks This link opens in a new windowAPA PsycBooks contains more than 25,000 chapters in PDF format from over 1,600 books published by the American Psychological Association and other distinguished publishers. It also includes over 900 classic books of landmark historical impact in psychology dating from the 1600s, and the exclusive electronic release of more than 1,500 authored entries from APA/Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Psychology.
- Psychology TodayPopular magazine covering a wide variety of topics in the area of psychology for a general audience.
Not sure when to use Wikipedia? Check out this tutorial: