How to Study

Step 3: Begin Initial Library Research
Got your list? Then get thee to a library. You need to do a little
advance research. Scan your library’s card-catalog index and the
Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature or other publication indexes.
See how many books and articles have been written about each topic
on your “possibilities” list. Next, read a short background article or
encyclopedia entry about each topic.
Alternatively, spend a little time online. Are there specific websites
devoted to your topic? Lucky you! Or does a keyword search result
in 10,424 matches, none of which have a thing to do with your 
topic?
With any luck at all, you should be left with at least one topic that
looks like a good research subject. If two or more topics passed your
preliminary research test, pick the one that interests you most. You’re
going to spend a lot of time learning about your subject. There’s 
no rule that says you can’t enjoy it!
Develop a Temporary Thesis
Once you have chosen the topic for your paper, you must develop 
a temporary thesis. (The word “thesis” is a relative of “hypothesis”
and means about the same thing—the central argument you will
attempt to prove or disprove in your paper. A thesis is not the 
same thing as a topic. Your topic is what you study; your thesis is the
conclusion you draw from that study.)
A “thesis statement” sums up the main point of your paper. It’s 
generally just a sentence or two.
How to Study
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Note that I said temporary thesis. It may not wind up being your final
thesis. Because you haven’t completed all your research yet, you can
only come up with a “best guess” thesis at this point.
If a temporary thesis doesn’t spring easily to mind— and it probably
won’t—sit back and do some more brainstorming. Ask yourself 
questions like:
■
What’s special or unusual about ______? (Fill in the 
blank with your topic.) 
■
How is ______ related to events in the past? 
■
What impact has ______ made on society? 
■
What do I want the world to know about ______? 
■
What questions do I have about ______? 
You may discover during this preliminary research phase that your
temporary thesis just won’t fly. You may have to revise it, perhaps
even settling on a thesis that’s the exact opposite of your original! 
In fact, you may have to revise your thesis several times during the
course of your research.