At the outset of the library research process it is necessary to spend some time analysing your subject. This can involve preliminary reading to develop your ideas and establish the scope of the research. This is usually done in conjunction with a tutor or PhD supervisor.

The amount of time you need to spend on this will vary depending on the nature of the research and how focused your ideas already are. It may be useful to state your topic as a question and then begin to isolate the key concepts and distinct and unique words which can later be used as subject keywords in information searches. As you analyse the subject further and consult more resources the emphasis and focus of your research may change and you may need to broaden or narrow its scope.

For further help on establishing and developing your research topic consult the relevant subject tutors and the Union librarian.