Before selecting a topic or starting your research, make sure you understand the assignment and its requirements.
Consider the following:
- Have you been assigned a topic? Can you pick your own?

- How many pages/words do you need to write? How long is your presentation?
- Do you need to include specific types of sources? (e.g. scholarly journal, book, etc.)
- When is the assignment due? How much time do you have to research?
- Is currency of information important?
Always clarify questions you may have with your professor.
Image source: Joao lara mesquita. Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0.