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Choosing a research topic can be surprisingly difficult, but it's an important first step! As you start searching in the Library, you’ll find that having a clear topic is important for finding relevant information.
Here are some helpful strategies for brainstorming and developing a topic.
Two important factors to consider when choosing a topic are the assignment criteria and the deadline. They will help you to efficiently choose and develop your topic and find information in the Library.
These have tight deadlines, and you won’t likely have time for lengthy brainstorming and exploratory searching. Read the instructions carefully and choose a topic you can research in a limited amount of time. Begin your research in the Library Multi-Database Search to quickly learn if research exists on your topic. Consider modifying or changing your topic based on what you find – or don’t find.
Typically, you’ll have more time to develop a topic and gather information, often over weeks or the entire course. Be sure to follow the instructions and pick a topic that fits the requirements. You can find inspiration by exploring a topic in the databases listed on this page. Start with a topic that interests you and explore what aspect of it you want to research more deeply. Once you’ve sufficiently narrowed your topic, you can begin locating research studies using the Library Multi-Database Search.
Before considering any topic, be sure you understand the specific requirements for the type of study you’ll be doing. Doctoral capstones require deep research that extends over a long period of time. You’ll spend a significant amount of time developing your topic through exploratory searching. Use the databases listed on this page as a starting point. Course assignments and discussions are another opportunity to further investigate and learn about different aspects of your topic.
Inspiration can come from a variety of places, including textbooks, course readings, current events, news, work, or real-life experiences. The Library also has specialized databases that can help in brainstorming and exploring possible topics.
Use the tabs at the top of the database to browse topics in different ways. Click the Browse All CQ Researcher tab to see the most recent hot topics. If you know the topic you're interested in, use the search box to see what might be available.
Try it out! CQ Researcher
Browse by topic or use the search box to see what articles might be available on your topic.
Each article links to related topics and additional resources in the Walden Library.
Try it out! Research Starters
View a summary article: Generative artificial intelligence
Search tips: To see the full article, scroll down the page. Consider exploring the related topics or click the Go to EBSCOhost link to see related information in the Walden Library.
Search for a general topic and browse encyclopedia entries and book chapters for ideas. Some encyclopedias have a Reader’s Guide that arranges entries by topic and is a good place to browse for ideas.
Try it out! Sage Reference & Academic Books
View a chapter: A Public Health Approach to Loneliness and Isolation among Older Adults
Search tip: To display your results by chapter (instead of book title), in the Group results by dropdown menu, select Section.
You can search for a topic or click on ‘Publications A-Z’ to browse a journal of interest. When searching, use limiters to further narrow your results list by discipline (psychology, public health, etc.) and publication date.
Try it out! Annual Reviews
View an article: The Economics of Treatment for Depression
Search tip: When viewing an article, click on the Sections button to quickly jump to different sections of the article.
Once you start searching, you’ll quickly learn how much research exists on your topic. You might find just the right amount of information or possibly too little or too much information. These can be indicators of whether you need to develop your topic more. Sometimes not enough time has elapsed for research to be published on your topic, or it may be a topic that has not yet gained the attention of researchers. Other times, the topic may be so well researched, you find yourself overwhelmed by the number of studies that have been published on it.
Review these Library database search strategies for help creating a manageable topic.
A topic that is too broad focuses on only one important concept or possibly too few broad concepts. A search will often return thousands of results.
Try these search strategies:
A topic that is too narrow usually has too many concepts or may focus on a specific geographic area or group. This type of search will find few, if any, results.
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