LibGuides: Science Senior Seminar: Finding a Topic

Finding a Topic

Databases
Other Sources

The library has many resources to help you decide on a topic for your paper. You can search through some of our databases or our catalog to find topics that interest you.

Access Science This link opens in a new window
The Access Science database provides research updates, encyclopedia entries, multi-media resources, and study aids on a wide variety of topics to students and researchers. You can either keyword search the database or you can browse the content by topic.
Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
This database is popular with people preparing for debates and it's a great place to get some ideas for research project.

Search Our Library Catalog
Try typing in some keywords that interest you into our library catalog. Browse the list of results to see if anything stands out as a possible topic. Examples: Climate change, genetics, crime scene investigation, etc.

You also may want to do some general keyword searches in our interdisciplinary databases to see what you can find that sparks your interest. Here are a couple to get you started:

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Points of View Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Research Library This link opens in a new window

If you really want to shake things up, try looking at some of these other resources:

TED Talks
A collection of presentations made by leading researchers, leaders, and others all around the world. Filter by subject or search by keyword to find inspiration for your research topic.

Look through science websites. Many of these sites offer podcasts that you can listen to or download:

Research institutions frequently list news about current research being done at their institutions. It's a great place to look for inspiration and you can usually find free seminars to attend to help find a topic for your paper:

Look at government agency websites for hot topics that have funded research projects. This can help you find keywords to search our databases For example: