Once you have chosen your research topic, it is useful to identify it and specify the purpose of the work to be done in order to establish a strategy that will make it possible to find the right documents.

Objectives

• Adopt an effective strategy to clearly identify a research topic.
• Define the purpose of the academic work to be done.

DELINEATE YOUR SUBJECT

In order to properly define the topic, it is necessary to examine it from several angles by asking questions about the priority aspects to be studied, the groups of individuals concerned, the importance of the geographical context or the period of time to be considered. Then, we summarize all these elements in one sentence of a few lines:

• Use meaningful, precise words.
• If possible, formulate the sentence as a question.

EXAMPLE

What is the role and impact of labour market integration programs among young Quebec university graduates over the past 5 years?

This summary sentence will later be useful in establishing a search strategy in documentary databases.

IDENTIFY YOUR SUBJECT

Worksheet Defining your topic.docx

In the form below, answer the questions according to the chosen topic. Refer to the example as necessary to clarify the meaning of the question.

General theme of work

General theme of work

What?

What are the aspects that interest me? What are the components of the question?

What answer

Who?

Which specific groups are affected by the issue?

Who answers

When?

What is the time period? Is it a specific time? Can it be circumscribed in time?

When to reply

Where?

What is the geographical context? Can we limit it to a particular region? Country?

Where answer

Comment?

What approaches or points of view should be considered? Historical? Sociological? Economical? Statistics? Legal? Scientist? Ethics?

How to respond

What for?

What is the meaning or importance of the topic? What are the implications? Why should we care?

Why answer

What questions would I like to answer?

Questions and answers

PURPOSE OF THE WORK

The choice of methodology and the selection of documents depend on the purpose of the work.

Some examples of links between purpose and methodology

• By clarifying the purpose of the work and clearly identifying the topic, it is easier to establish an effective research strategy.
•  

Links / Documents

• For examples of information sources based on methodology, see the data collection table.

Infosphère / https://infosphere.uqam.ca