Preliminary Topic Proposal Worksheet
i. What about this topic do you find interesting?
ii. When and Where is it happening?
iii. Who are some key players/individuals/groups? What varied or competing visions of “safety” on the campus do they represent?
iv. Why is it important? Why should we know about it? This is the ‘so what’ of your topic.
2. Search for sources related to your topic: Make a list of 7-10 Search Terms (this can include: the name of your topics, key players, the name of our campus, state, etc):
i. Use the Illinois Newspaper data base (which includes the Daily Illini data base) -- https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=p&p=home&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN---------- -- to search for your topic; mix terms from your search term list above if you need to narrow/reduce findings. Spend 15-20 minutes skimming the titles and abstracts of some of the most useful/interesting results. Select 3 articles that look most useful to you. Make note of what you discover below:
ii. Use the Library Easy Search catalog -- https://www.library.illinois.edu -- to find at least two books (not used in our class) related to your topic. Spend 15-20 min. on this. Click on the “Details tab” (in the book’s digital card), which provides a description and subject guide to see if it’s useful to you. [NOTE: while you cannot count our class’ readings for the 2 books you select, you CAN search for a class reading to identify relevant subject areas in the catalog related to your topic.) Cite your selections below.
iii. Google your topic. Spend 15-20 minutes skimming websites that look like authoritative sources: like something you might find in a library. On-line encyclopedias like Wikipedia can be useful, for ideas. Make note of any references that are reliable. Use Google Scholar, skim any articles that turn up related to your topic, pay attention to their lists of sources (in their bibliography, or list of cited sources). Make note of what you discover that’s most useful to you. How do they compare to your Illinois Newspaper and Library Search selections?:
3. Take a look at your selections above. Are there any NEW Search Terms you can now add (ie. names of new key players, relevant actors, etc.):
i. Based on what you found in your searches today, are there any sub-topics related to your topic that you know you WILL NOT deal with? Make note of them below.
4. Keep in mind you can ask a librarian! Librarians can help you find resources, both in the library and on-line.