Scan current magazines and scholarly journals for topic ideas. Try browsing recent issues of magazines and journals related to the field you are studying to develop a feel for the questions which are of current importance to scholars in that field. Current issues are available in the Current Periodicals Department on the Second Floor of Alden Library. You can also browse by subject in Periodical Abstracts or SIRS Researcher , or search by subject in Britannica Online . Using the Britannica Internet Guide , Britannica' s internet quide will give you useful internet sites for your topic.
Newspapers also report on current events and can often spark interest in a particular issue.
Current issues for a variety of newspapers are also kept in the Current Periodicals Department. Unforeseen circumstances may require a shift of focus. It is highly likely that in the course of a research project, you will have to modify your topic at least once. Too little published information may require that you broaden your topic. If too much information is available, you will have to find a way to make your topic more specific.