Composition I and II: ENC 1101/1102

Ideas for generating topics to write about:

• Make 2 lists: Having a difficult time finding a topic? Make two lists: one of the things you're passionate about, the other of things that make you angry. You're likely to find something to write about here!
• Take notes: As you browse for information on your topic, jot down keywords, phrases, issues, and angles
• Educate yourself: You might use Web sites or other sources for ideas or to educate yourself on a topic that you won’t necessarily cite in your final product (unless, of course, you deem the information credible and you use it in your paper).

You mean I should start doing research before I've even settled on a topic?

Yes! You don't have to do in-depth research at this point but will want to see what information is out there. Of course, if your instructor has already given you a topic, you can skip this step. If you’ve been given a list of topics to choose from, it’s still a good idea to do some initial exploring before choosing one. And if you have to come up with a topic all on your own, you should definitely check out some of the following resources and tips.

Library Databases to help generate topic ideas:

The following are web sites to help you generate topic ideas. Once you settle on a topic, use Library databases to find credible supporting information.