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SPAN 422/JS 422 : Matza and Tortillas

This guide is designed to assist the students in Dr. Gold's Spring 2023 semester class with their research.

Choosing Your Topic

Choosing a research topic can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you get started with selecting and developing your topic.

Brainstorm - Brainstorm different areas of interest and topic ideas. You can check the following places for inspiration.

  • Your class syllabus and class readings - looks for themes and ideas that interest you
  • Check the news and run a web search - browse online for current events or content that seems interesting
  • Browse our library databases - test out topic ideas and see what you discover

Explore and test out your topic idea - try searching for your topic online and in library databases to see what you find. Are you finding information that you can use for your research assignment? Is what you are finding interesting to you?

Scope your topic - sometimes a topic can be too broad or too narrow to start. Refine your topic with these tips

  • Narrow topics - if you aren't finding information, think about ways to broaden or expand your idea. What are some larger themes or concepts that you could explore in your topic?
  • Broad topics - if you are overwhelmed with search results and feel that your sources are all over the place, think about how you can narrow things down. Is there a specific detail, place, person, event, etc. that you can focus on for your research?

Talk to an expert -  Contact your librarian. Research which faculty members and graduate students at Emory specialize in the area you are researching. Reach out via email and see if they have the time to chat with you about resources, texts, or authors you should look into while you are researching your topic. While they may not be able to read your research proposal they will be able to recommend additional reading to help you develop your research topic. 

Reference Sources

Reference Sources provide you contextual information and an overview of the critical historical events and figures. They are written based on primary and secondary sources. These are good are for familiarizing yourself with your research area.

Reference sources can:

  • Provide an overview of your topic
  • Are often written by scholars or experts in the field
  • Provide key people, places, events, and terms that you can use to refine your searches
  • Often offer suggestions for further reading