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"Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshiping in a building such as a church or temple. . . A religion is a particular system of belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this system." Collins Dictionary
BROAD TOPICS are generally phrases that describe a big idea or thing:
RESTRICTED TOPICS may only be one part of the broad topic or they may link two different ideas. In the examples below, “water pollution” is a particular type of pollution; “Nutrition and pregnancy” links the broad topic of nutrition with pregnancy to focus it.
NARROWED TOPICS give your research more focus. In the examples below, “Pollution in San Francisco Bay” is still looking at “water pollution” – but only water pollution in a particular location. “Commercial salmon fishing” is looking at the salmon fishing industry, rather than at sport fishing.
FOCUSED RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
As you do your research, you need to ask very specific, focused questions to find out the information for your paper.
Who = People
What = Facts; causes and effects
When = Time
Where = Place(s) or geographical information
Why = Reasons
How = Methods (How many, How much = Statistics, amounts)
|
Broad Topic |
Restricted Topic |
Narrowed Topic |
Focused Research Question #1 |
Focused Research Question #2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | water pollution | pollution in San Francisco Bay | What is the most common pollutant in the bay? | Where does the pollution come from? |
| Fishing | salmon fishing | commercial salmon fishing | When can fisherman legally catch wild salmon? | Why don't people only eat farm raised salmon? |
| Nutrition | nutrition and pregnancy | vegetarian diets and pregnancy | How much protein does a pregnant woman need to eat daily? | What foods will provide the most protein in a vegetarian diet? |
Always ask your instructor what citation style should be used for research projects. See below for links to helpful resources.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by 
The Bedford Handbook by College of the Redwoods Library Call Numbers
Books in College of the Redwoods library are filed by the Library of Congress system that uses letter-number combinations assigned by subject, so that most books about the same subject will be filed together on the shelf. HSU Library uses this same system, and so do most colleges and universities in the United States. Browse the titles on the shelf in the sections listed below for research topics on religion.
Humboldt County Library Call Numbers
Most County, or public libraries in the United States will use the Dewey Decimal system, which uses numbers, and each number section represents a subject, so that books about the same subject are filed together on the shelf. Below are listed some number sections that are relevant to topics for research on religions. Remember to also check the Juvenile or children's collection, the YA or Young Adult collection, and the Reference collection.
