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Getting Ready for Research

This guide provides an overview of basic research techniques and resources.

Step 1: Choose Your Topic and Gather Background Information

The first step in any research project is to identify what information you need. Often, the information you need may be outlined in the assignment or project instructions. However, in open-ended projects where you choose the topic, you will first need to identify and then develop a researchable topic. 

Choosing a research topic is simple if you follow these three simple steps:

  1. Brainstorming / Prewriting
  2. Preliminary Research
  3. Broaden or Narrow Your Topic

For a walk-through on how to choose your research topic, complete EGCC Library's Choosing a Research Topic Tutorial.

Tip: The topic you select should be interesting to you. It is much easier to research something you care about and that you want to learn more about.