For many assignments you are given a topic and perhaps even some guiding questions by the teachers. But turning that topic into something manageable yet comprehensive is perhaps one of your most important jobs as a researcher. The following will break down this process. Watch this video (2 min 57 sec) to get started.
1. Closely read the assignment sheet. Take away as much information as you can including: length of the assignment, any parameters such as time period, perspective, and goal (is this a pro/con, overview, or analysis of a particular issue)
2. This is the stage of research where it is perfectly acceptable to consult Wikipedia. Read a basic overview, collect keywords. You need to get down the basics: who, what, where, when. It would also be a good idea to consult a book/ebook on your topic. Why? Book sources, particularly reference books or student friendly books, will many times outline a topic and break down that topic into manageable subtopics. It is also helpful to look at those books' table of contents to see what related topics they address.
*Hint: Slow down. Many students make the mistake of jumping in head first and right away start making copies/printing out articles. How do you even know yet what you need? What are you going to cover? Get organized first and get a feel for what the scope of your topic. This way your searches will become more focused and efficient and you can better determine what kind of sources you need.
3. After you have read one (or maybe several) overview articles you should be able to make a mindmap. This tool will allow you to organize your thoughts and give you a direction for research. Use your tree offshoots on the map to look up further topics. Cross them off, add to them. etc. Keep this document as a running list and you can use it to build your outline for your final paper or to organize your notes into piles in Noodletools.
4. Once you have a manageable topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow you should be able to show how you have broken down your topic. Fill out this worksheet that will also ask you to list your guiding questions.