Political Science

Most students decide on their topic first then try to find out if there has been anything written on the subject. WRONG! It is necessary to do some planning and preliminary research before deciding! 

The table above illustrates how a research question develops from a broad topic to a focused research question. A concept map should help you identify a sub-topic and possible issues or problems.

Use the resources shared in this guide as well as preliminary research to explore your topic further. Preliminary research will provide some context to help you consider a possible research question.

CREDO Reference is like having a library's reference section in one website. The database contains full-text subject encyclopedias, reference works, dictionaries, and handbooks in all disciplines. Visit the page and search for the main topic you are interested in to get definitions, background information, and pro/con positions.

Some example sources are below:

• Global Poverty (The Princeton Encyclopedia of the World Economy)
• Kyoto Protocol (Culture Wars in America: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices)
• Urbanization (The Dictionary of Human Geography)

To find subject dictionaries relevant to your issue, country, or geographic region, search GALILEO or the catalog and add "AND encyclopedia" to your search. (e.g. "Global Economy AND encyclopedia")

1. Start with a general subject you think you want to explore

Example: Lone wolf terrorism, electronic surveillance, social media use in emergencies, unmanned systems, suicide bombers. These look more like headings in an Encyclopedia than topics for a paper.

2. Look for particular aspects of the general subject you might want to explore further.

• Look at the texts assigned in class or ones you have used for other classes.
• Read some background sources. You may not use these sources as evidence in your paper, but they can help you find and narrow a topic.
• Look at one or two basic books on the subject. Scan the Table of Contents; Index. Browse the Chapters.

3. Once you have picked an aspect, develop some research questions about the aspect you have selected. You will probably need to find some pre-research and find books or chapters in books on the particular aspect you have selected.

• Avoid questions that can be answered by a simple description
• Avoid yes/no questions
• Avoid questions that are too broad
• Avoid questions like What would have happened if…

4. Now you may be ready to develop your thesis and start your real research. A research paper is not just a collection of facts or bits of information. It usually takes the form of an argument in support of a thesis. 

• A thesis is not a description of your paper, though it should be clear from your thesis what your paper is about.
  Example. This paper is about the use of non-violent tactics used to protest the War in Vietnam. This is a description. not a thesis 
• A thesis is not a question, though it comes from a question that a researcher asked.
  Example: Were non-violent tactics successful in bringing an early end to the war in Viet Nam? This is a question not a thesis
• A thesis is not a statement of fact
  Example: Many college students were involved in non-violent protests against the war in Viet Nam. - this is a statement not a thesis.
• A thesis is not a statement of personal opinion. Though it should reflect what you have concluded, a thesis is not a mere statement of your own personal beliefs or prejudices.

A thesis is a specific, possible, debatable answer to a question that can be supported by evidence. It makes an assertion that sets up an argument. It is then the writer’s job to supply evidence to prove their point in the rest of the paper.

Example of a Thesis: The Vietnam War protest movement was more about white, middle-class young men being drafted and then sent into war than it was about stopping an unjust war.

Example of a Thesis: Although the timber wolf is actually a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated because people wrongfully believe it to be a fierce and cold-blooded killer.

Hint: 
Use a formula to develop a working thesis statement (which you will need to revise later). Here are a few examples:

• Although  ______ have argued that ______, closer examination shows that ______.
• ______ uses ______ and ______ to prove that ______.
• Phenomenon X is a result of the combination of ______, ______, and ______.