Developing a Research Topic

Defining Research

The first step toward making a general subject into a workable topic for any research project is defining the terms under which you are working. What exactly is research? You may think of it in terms of gathering information and presenting it in a coherent fashion. But true research, according to Paul Leedy’s Practical Research:Planning and Design, is “a procedure by which we attempt to find systematically, and with the support of demonstrable fact, the answer to a question or the resolution of a problem.”(Leedy, 1989, p.5) You are no longer just presenting information in a readable format; instead, you are answering a question that has never been resolved or has never been approached in quite the same manner.

For graduate students especially, the distinction between information gathering and research is more than just semantic – it has implications for the kinds of papers you will write and the approaches you will take towards solving the problem you present in your paper. Finding an original topic or a new slant to a subject, however, requires that you familiarize yourself with what has already been written in your area of interest.

Finding Background Information on Your Topic

Once you’ve decided on your topic, it’s time to begin finding out fundamental information about it. Almost all disciplines have subject-specific bibliographies. Some sports-specific bibliographies owned by the Academy library that may also be available to you elsewhere are:

• Gratch, B., Chan B., and Lingenfeller, J. (1983). Sports and Physical Education: A Guide to the Reference Sources. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. REF Z7511 .G7 1983
• Remley, M.L. (1980). Women in Sport: A Guide to Information Resources. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company. REF Z7963 .S6 R45
• Smith, M.J. (1986). Baseball: A Comprehensive Bibliography. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. REF Z7514 .B3 S64

A particularly good source for information in all areas, not just in sport, is a reference book owned by many libraries: Sheehy, E.P. (1986). Guide to Reference Books. (10th ed.). Chicago: American Library Association. There are supplements to the 10th edition that cover later years. The call number at Academy is REF Z1035.1 .S43 1986.

For general periodicals in your area of interest, check out another source often used by librarians: Katz, B. and Katz, L.S. (1992) Magazines for Libraries. New Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker. There have been new editions since 1992; this is the year owned by the Academy library. The call number is REF Z6941 .K2 1992.

Dictionaries, encyclopedias and textbooks are also good sources of information when you are first exploring a topic, and they will often contain bibliographies that will be useful when you are compiling information. Remember though that these sources only provide background information. For more detailed studies, you need to search out periodical articles and books on your topic.

Using Bibliographies to Find Information

• Check the references listed at the end of any article you are reading, whether it is from an encyclopedia or a textbook. These references let you know the general questions that have already been investigated in your field and they will provide you with beginning references for your research. Write down these citations.
• If the references you find are to books, check the Academy Library’s card catalog for availability. Write down the call number and go to the shelves to retrieve the books. If the citations are to journal articles, check the library’s Journal Holdings list at the front desk or on the Academy’s Home Page to determine if we own the journal. The Academy’s journals are shelved alphabetically by title in the Serials Room. The Journal Holdings list will also note if we have a particular journal in microfiche; if we do, the microfiche is in the copy machine room in the filing cabinets. Microfiche holdings are also filed alphabetically by title.
• When you find a book or article that is especially relevant to your area of investigation, make sure that you note the subject headings associated with it. These terms can be especially helpful to you as you continue in your research.

References

Leedy, P.D. (1989). Practical Research: Planning and Design (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan.