Think of it like going on a date: you're trying to get to know the other person (your topic) without scaring them off because you're trying to talk about marriage, houses, and grandkids (i.e. your "real" research) on the first date. And, of course, once you've gotten to know them better, you're able to buy them gifts and guess what they would like, because you've taken the time to establish those little basic details.
Don't take ideas and terms for granted -- take a moment to do some simple, one-word searches in a resource like Credo Reference. Background information gives context. You never know what ideas you'll generate.
These databases focus on current and controversial issues and provide introductions to the topics and collect a variety of related sources to further your research. Great starting points!
Below is a sample mind map from Credo Reference. Click on the image to access this database and its mind map tool.
As you develop important keywords through the mind map, keywords become search terms to find information focused on your topic. See Search Better to combine these terms.
This work by Lone Star College-University Park Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
