This document provides guidance on developing a research topic and question. It recommends starting with a topic of interest, then narrowing it with additional context like geography, history, or particular demographic. Next, the topic should be transformed into a question using words like how, why, or in what ways. Finally, the researcher should identify the significance by explaining what they want to explore or find out. The document reviews this process and provides examples to help focus a topic on turf dancing in Oakland on how it relates to community resilience. It also discusses identifying keywords and finding appropriate databases and resources to research the topic.

1. Framing Your Topic:
Using Subject Specific Databases to
Explore Your Topic
Nicole Branch
Santa Clara University Library
Image courtesy of flickr user Jeff Babbitt

2. Objectives
• Move from a topic to a research question
• Become familiar with subject-specific
library resources
• Develop a strategy for searching for sources
for your assignment
Image courtesy of flickr user Kirsten Pauli

3. Developing Your Topic
Topic -- Question -- Significance
Image courtesy of flickr user D. Robert Wolcheck

4. The Research Process
• Choose a topic that interests you
• Determine a strategy
– Topic development stage and determining your
research questions
• Choose databases to look in the right places
• Find sources and evaluate what you find
• Annotate and cite your sources
Image courtesy of flickr user Evelyn Flint

5. The (Fictional and Oversimplified)
Research Process
• Choose a topic that interests you
• Determine a strategy
– Topic development stage and determining your
research questions
• Choose databases to look in the right places
• Find sources and evaluate what you find
• Annotate and cite your sources
Image courtesy of flickr user Evelyn Flint

6. Choosing Your Topic
• An interesting subject that came up in class
• Something you are passionate about
• A topic you would like to learn more about
Image courtesy of flickr user Evelyn Flint

7. Warm up
• Share your topic as it currently exists on the
guide.

8. Developing Your Topic
Topic -- Question -- Significance

9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQRRnAhmB58&feature=youtu.be

10. Topic
Turf dancing

11. Focus your topic
• If you can state your topic in 2-3 words, it is too
broad.
• Narrow your topic by adding a context. What
element are you interested in?
Geography
History
Relationship to community or society
Particular demographic
Particular topic or concern

12. Examples
Geography
Oakland
History
History of turf dancing
Relationship to community or society
Turf dancing and economics
Particular demographic
Women in turf dancing
Particular topic or concern
Turf dancing and racism

13. Geography +
Geographic
Oakland
History
Turf dancing and Oakland’s history
Relationship to community or society
Turf dancing and economics
Particular demographic
Gender and turf dancing
Particular topic or concern
Turf dancing and resilience

14. Topic
Turf Dancing
• Turf dancing and resilience in Oakland

15. Write
• Now focus your topic
• Integrate a context to develop your topic.
Geography
History
Relationship to community or society
Particular demographic
Particular topic or concern

16. Developing Your Topic
Topic -- Question -- Significance

17. Question
• Add a question such as how, why, or in what
ways to your topic.
• How does turf dancing in Oakland relate to
resilience?

18. Common Mistakes
• Avoid questions with one word answers or
that cannot be answered within limits of the
assignment.
• Avoid questions that are too vague or cannot
be answered with research.
• Avoid speculation without evidence.

19. Question
• How does turf dancing in Oakland relate to
resilience?

20. Develop a Question
• Transform your topic into a question.
• Incorporate
How
Why
In what ways
• Discuss with with a partner.

21. Developing Your Topic
Topic -- Question -- Significance

22. Significance
• So what?
• I am researching…. because I want to explore/find out...

23. Turf Dancing and Resilience
I am researching
 how turf dancing in Oakland relates to resilience
Because I want to explore
» The ways street art impacts marginalized communities

24. Keep it Open
I am researching
 how turf dancing in Oakland relates to resilience
Because I want to explore
» The ways street art impacts marginalized communities

25. Reflection & Discussion
Apply significance to your question & share with
your neighbor
• I am researching ___________ because I want
to explore/find out___________.

26. Questions?

27. Identifying Keywords
Joshua Vossler, Selecting and Using Keywords

28. Identifying Keywords
I am researching
 how turf dancing in Oakland relates to resilience
Because I want to explore
» The ways street art impacts marginalized communities

29. Keywords
• Broader terms
• Narrower terms
• Synonym terms

30. Finding the Context
• Research Guides
• Background Information
• Article Databases

31. Search Time
• Use the recommended databases
• Record your progress on the worksheet
• Check in

32. Nicole Branch
Instruction Librarian
nbranch@scu.edu
408.554.5436
Thank you to flickr users:
Jeff Babbitt
Evelyn Flint
Kirsten Pauli
& D. Robert Wolcheck
for sharing their work through
creative commons license.