Different teachers set up the topic selection differently. One way, that many graduate assistants have used, is a list of 100 topics, under broad subject headings, mostly historical in nature. Some regular instructors keep a list of tired topics that students cannot use. Sometimes a special theme is chosen, such as health, environment. Some give their students free reign but with final approval, and some provide a shorter list of topics from which to choose. All approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. Too few topics and too many students mean that the books, in particular, become scarce and students become frustrated. Finding sufficient magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, in these days of electronic full-text access, is usually not an issue.
Often students are not accustomed to using Library resources to help them SELECT their topic, but there are many different ways that can be found to help. For example, it does little good to select a great topic - only to discover that the Library has little on that topic. Here are some resources & strategies to help with this stage.
