This training outlines a process for selecting a research topic, narrowing the topic down to a specific research question, and carrying out literature review.

By the end of this training, learners should: 

• Be able to define a research topic.
• Be able to conduct a literature review.

Training Outline:

• Select a topic for your research.
• Collect background information about your topic.
• Define your topic as a focused research question.
• Perform a literature review.

Resources for facilitators and learners

Videos, online tutorials:

• “How to Develop a Good Research Topic”, Kansas State University Library

• Tutorial: Creating an effective search strategy, University of Minnesota Libraries 

• “Asking Questions to Explore Your Topic”, University of Guelph.

• “Four Steps to Narrow Your Research Topic”, University of Guelph.

•  “How to Write a Literature Review”, University College Dublin. 

• “How to write a literature review”, University College Dublin.

• The Literature Review: A Roadmap, Florida Atlantic University Libraries.

Library guides:

• “Finding and Exploring Your Topic”, University of Michigan. 
• “Find background information”, University of Guelph.
• “Literature Review: Conducting & Writing”, University of West Florida. URL:

Examples of presentations, handouts and worksheets:

• Richard Bruce Lamptey. “Library Research Methods - Information Retrieval and Literature Review" [download], Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. 
• Handout and Worksheet “Developing a research question”, University of Guelph. 
• “Research Worksheets and Handouts”. College of Dupage.