Planning Your Research - ENGL 102 - Research Papers - LibGuides at North Idaho College

Picking your topic is research!

Choosing a topic is the first and most important step of any research paper. This video from North Carolina State University helps outline this process.

Concept Mapping: What are the Advantages?

Allows flexibility and creativity
Free flowing, visual representation of your ideas
Can help narrow down your topic by focusing and developing a single branch from the broad topic
Can be adapted and revised as you do more research

Concept Mapping: What Does It Look Like?

The video below was created by Penn State University Libraries to explain the process of concept mapping for a research paper.

Research Tip: Start with simple sources.

At times, it may be challenging to come up with keywords or avoid our own biases. Reading an overview article about the topic can help guide your research. Below are some Molstead Library subscription databases to help you find background information on your subject.

Points of View Reference Center This link opens in a new window
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Points of View is designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debating, developing arguments, writing position papers, and developing critical thinking skills. Each Points of View Essay includes a series of questions and additional material to generate further thought. Also included are thousands of supporting articles from the world’s top political and societal publications.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
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CQ Researcher is often the first source that librarians recommend when researchers are seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. Founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, CQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
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Credo Reference is a full-text online reference service. This collection includes over three million entries from hundreds of well-regarded titles from some of world's the best reference publishers. Credo’s collection is intelligently integrated with millions of cross-references and contains dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to accountancy, science to Shakespeare and law to literature.