SOC 311: Feminist Theory (Christy Craig)

This guide is organized by the chronological steps a student should take when conducting research. Each of the top tabs represents a stage in the research and writing process, starting from left to right. 

Getting Started includes information on how to form an effective topic. 

Information Seeking Strategies helps you brainstorm what type of resources you need and how to go about researching. 

Locating Resources will help you find different scholarly resources related to your topic. 

Reading Resources includes instructions on how to effectively read a scholarly article for information, and how to organize your articles with Zotero. 

Formatting an Annotated Bibliography will show you how to correctly compile and summarize resources as you continue gathering information for your research project.

Creation Process includes information on citation and style guides along with various helpful resources for your project. 

A topic is a general inquiry you are interested in answering. It is not a statement, but a question. 

Examples: How do gender expectations influence what hobbies we develop? How does social media impact the American perception of genderqueer identities? Why are women at a greater risk of sexual violence and exploitation?

 Steps to formulate a topic:

Read your assignment and note any requirements.

• Is there a required page length?
• How many sources do you need?
• Does the paper have to be in a specific format like APA?
• Are there any listed goals for the topic, such as synthesizing different opinions, or applying a theory to a real-life example?

Formulate a general idea.

• Look at your syllabus or course schedule for broad topic ideas.
• Think about reading assignments or class lectures that you found interesting.
• Talk with your professor or a librarian. 
• Check out social media and see what has been trending that is related to your course. 
• Read and watch the news to see if there is anything going on related to your course. 

Do some background research on your general idea.

• Read an encyclopedia entry.
• See what your course notes and textbook say about the subject.
• Google it. 

Mind map it.

• Video on how to do a mind map. 

Write out your topic question & reread the assignment criteria.

• Can you answer your question well in the number of pages required? 
• Does your topic still meet the requirements of the paper? Ex: is the question still related to feminist theory?
• Is the topic too narrow to find research?