JAPN 300B: Japanese Film

Selecting a Topic:

Deciding on a topic can be one of the toughest parts of writing a research paper. Ask yourself...

• Am I interested in this topic to the point that I will enjoy talking about and sharing the information that I find?
• Will I enjoy researching this topic?
• Will my readers be interested in my topic?

Explore your topic further...

Check through a general reference resource or online catalog to find synonyms and related terms.

These general reference resources can help you find terms related to your topic along with some basic facts or background information on your topic:

Consider sub-topics...

To narrow your topic further, add a sub-topic such as an additional topic, a location, an age group, a personal name, or a population.

For example: To the topic of "Japanese Culture" 

• an additional topic      Japanese Culture and Kabuki
• a location                  Japanese Culture and Tokyo
• an age group             Japanese Culture and children/youth/adolescents
• a personal name        Japanese Culture and Hokusai
• a population              Japanese Culture and women

Search the WSU Online Catalog for books relating to your topic. For further information, consult the "Books" tab at the left.

The databases listed under the "Find Articles" tab at the left, can help you to find more information about your topic.

Use this set of criteria to help you evaluate the quality of the information you find, in print and online.

Currency

Accuracy

Authority

Relevance

Purpose

The handout below provides a more detailed description of the criteria used for evaluating information sources, including websites.