To get started on the research necessary to complete a good term paper,
To start out your paper research, write out your topic sentence, being careful to include such concepts as Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.
Example
My paper will be about the geologic conditions that enabled England to become the first industrialized nation in the 1700s.
Who - the nation of England (politicians, inventors, landowners, factory owners)
What - the geologic conditions
When - the 1700s, geologic time
Why - role of geology in development of industrialization
How - was geology important? did English inventors use available resources to innovate?
"Who" is generally the social aspects of your topic.
"What" is frequently the central keyword or concept for the paper.
"When" helps to limit the search to appropriate timeframes.
"Why" is generally the motivating or driving force behind the topic.
"How" is generally the action that happens in the paper. It is the actual events or changes that occur.
Once you have your keywords, brainstorm a list of synonyms. This is necessary because computers do not necessarily use the same words to describe a concept that you would. You must provide the computer with a variety of terms to be a successful searcher.
