Researching a topic (2/8)

When conducting a search on a certain topic, you usually do not have any specific sources. Perhaps you have already found a couple of interesting texts, but you do not yet know what and how much has been written on the subject. In this case, you first need to find terms that cover different aspects of your topic.

There are different ways to come up with good search terms. One option would be to create a preliminary outline of your paper. To arrange individual points in your outline, you will first have to brainstorm for terms that fit various aspects of your topic. You can then use these terms to research literature on your topic.

Among a number of helpful handouts, the University of North Carolina Writing Center has a short video that explains how making an outline for your paper can be helpful in organising your main arguments and keywords (see “Outlines”).