The resources on this guide are great for helping you choose a topic. 
Watch a video about using this guide.
Specialized databases and websites explain issues within broader contexts and from differing viewpoints. This helps with understanding the "big picture" and can often help with forming ideas for narrowing topics.
Some suggestions about how to identify a problem, challenge, or controversial issue related to a career field.
1. Browse the website of a professional organization, focusing on headings such as news, issues, publications, advocacy, etc. To identify a relevant professional organization, search Google (for example, interior design professional organizations).
2. Explore topics by browsing peer reviewed journals in a particular discipline.
3. Brainstorm ways that a given career field intersects with or interacts with society; for example, computer scientists and the privacy implications of big data analysis. Resources such as Opposing Viewpoints and CQ Researcher offer broad categories for their topics/issues list that can be helpful for this approach.
Length: 01:30. Search Opposing Viewpoints. Or view more videos on this resource here.
Thanks to a university-wide subscription, you have access to all the articles, breaking news, blogs, multimedia and more from The New York Times. Create a personal digital account using your MTSU email. Follow instructions in the confirmation email you receive (MTSU employees, make sure Proofpoint didn't quarantine the confirmation email).
