LibGuides: Honors History Research Seminar: Choosing a Topic

Getting Started: Choosing a Topic

The first step in your research process will be choosing a topic. Here are some suggestions for generating topic ideas:

Is there anything you have read, either in a class or on your own, that has caught your interest? There is food for thought everywhere: history textbooks, news articles, well-researched historical fiction novels, and so much more.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of school that might provide a general topic for your paper?
Do you or a family member have a story to tell that you could also research? Research topics with personal connections can be compelling.
School or local history can be rich with topics for discovery. We have a robust school archives and there are many outstanding local history organizations.
Still stuck? Take a look at some of the resources in the boxes below.

Using Library Databases

ABC-CLIO: All Databases This link opens in a new window
All ABC-CLIO databases.

This link will take you to the landing page for all of our ABC-CLIO databases. You can browse by time period through any of the databases here. Some are more general, while others look at specific experiences throughout history.

AM Explorer: Liberal Arts This link opens in a new window
This is a trial of a new database from Adam Matthew Digital, an academic publisher based in the UK and the US. They specialize in online primary source collections, particularly for history and social studies. This is an extremely rich source for exploration of topics, and, as you narrow your ideas, digital primary sources. However, we currently only have access to this database through early December. Please use it a lot while we have it! If you discover individual primary sources that you think may be useful to your project, please be in touch with your librarian.

Gale: All Databases This link opens in a new window
Use this link to access all of the library's Gale databases.

This link will take you to all of our Gale databases. There are some more general databases here that you may have used previously - such as US History in Context, Biography in Context, or Issues in Context - while there are others that comprise resources unique to a specific topic, such as Health & Medicine, Agriculture, or Economics.

Using Library Books

If you're having trouble thinking of a topic, the library stacks can help!

Sometimes it can be helpful to browse the shelves and look at some books. Try looking at books catalogued in the 300s (these are the social studies books) or in the 900s (these are the history books).

Some popular topics are found in these sections:

070: News Media & Journalism
305: Women’s Rights; Race; Racism
323: Civil Rights
327: International Relations/Espionage
330: Economics
355: Military/Warfare
610-620: Medicine & Health (including Diseases, Mental Health, and Addiction)
780: Music
796: Sports
940-949: History of Europe (including WWI & WWII)
950-959: History of Asia
960-969: History of Africa
970-979: History of North America
973: US History (arranged chronologically)
980-989: History of South America