-OK. Talking about research and which tools help answer your thesis statement is all well and good, but it can be a struggle just trying to figure out what your paper is about, let alone scouring the web for interesting bits of information. This video will explain how you can better understand what your assignment is asking and help you develop a paper topic that is both interesting to you and relevant to your class. 

We call it doing background checks. It's not about trying to creep on people but getting a solid, broad understanding of your topic. Chances are, you'll have some knowledge on the topic that's assigned to you. Your instructor wouldn't assign you a paper on Shakespearean dramas if you've spent the past month learning about American folklore, so don't panic. Before you jump in, take a minute to think about what you have already learned in class, homework assignments, or past research projects. Think outside the classroom, too. Maybe you visited Salem, Massachusetts one year and got totally spooked out by the folklore history there. How can you use what you already know and have experienced to think of new questions? 

Once you have a general understanding of your assignment, do a little pre-search to see what else you can learn about the topic. Read up on it in an encyclopedia or find a newspaper or magazine article. Check with your instructor first, but you might even be able to use Wikipedia. Wikipedia, at times, is a viable place to start learning about the basics of a topic and learning more about related subjects. As always, make sure that you are evaluating the article and the sources it links to for accuracy and credibility. 

Exploring other resources in addition to your own knowledge and experiences will help you understand what topics relate to the assignment. You'll be able to see which ones may warrant more investigation and more importantly, which ones interest you. Despite what you may think, research assignments were not made to torture you or force you to pore over dusty books. Research is fun when you're trying to find information about something that interests you. By thinking about what you already know, how it relates to your topic, and doing some basic exploratory research on it, will help give you some direction and ultimately save you time in the end.