Start the Process

• Choose a topic that interests you.
• Tailor the topic to the requirements of the paper (e.g., length, etc.). Ask for clarification from your Professor if you are unsure.
• Review the guidelines for topic selection, if provided by the Professor.
• Think about where you might find information about this topic.

Test it Out

• Begin with Credo and Credo's Mind Map to find information on your topic and related topics.
• Identify keywords, terms, names, dates, etc., to use for your searches.
• Look at the bibliographies from your sources for more ideas.

Too Much Information?

• Explore ways to narrow your topic.
• Consider limiting your topic to a specific geographic area, a particular time period, a subset of the topic, etc.
• Use Credo or the Credo Mind Map to find related subjects and subsets.

Too Little Information?

• Explore ways to broaden your topic.
• If it's too specific, try broadening it to contain additional geographic areas, time periods, etc.
• If it's too new, consider changing to a topic that might have more resources available.
• Make sure you've checked all the relevant databases.
• Change your keyword search. Pay attention to the search term suggestions provided by the database.