Identifying a Research Topic/Question

1. Identify Research Interest

1.1. Encyclopedias

1.2. CQ Researcher

1.3. Discipline Specific

1.3.1. Search Engines

1.3.2. Bibliographies

1.3.3. Journals

1.3.4. Databases

2. Make a Research Plan

2.1. Research Proposal

2.1.1. Research Plan

2.1.2. Research Timeline

2.2. Research Journal

3. Narrow Research Topic/Question

3.1. Free Writing and Looping

3.2. Ask Journalist Questions

3.3. Cluster/Mind-Mapping

3.3.1. MS Word Smart Art

3.3.2. MindMeister

3.3.3. Gliffy

3.4. Add adjectival qualifiers to the topic/question (replacing vague terms)

3.5. Term Bank

4. Analyze Researcher's/ Writer's Assets

4.1. Knowledge Inventory

4.2. Self-assess what student already believes about the topic and why s/he believes it.

4.3. Self-assess what student already knows about the topic and how s/he knows it.