To start research you need to figure out what your topic is, which is not always clear cut. Even if your topic is provided to you by your assignment the process of finding a topic that has enough sources and secondary literature can be a challenge.
Therefore, follow these steps when looking for a topic.
Brainstorm
Familiarize Yourself with Your Topic
Now that you have a potential topic in mind, find out a little more about it to make sure it will work for you.
Test the Waters
Check library databases, namely jumpstart or our A-Z database list, to see if journalists or scholars have written about your topic in the popular press or academic journals.
Scope of the Target
Finally, you'll need to find the right scope for your topic. If it is too broad or too narrow, you may have difficulty covering it adequately in the length assigned for your research project.
Scale is also relative to the assignment or project. A short paper for a philosophy class is not going to solve fundamental problems of morality and a masters thesis is not a book report.