Tuesday Tips: Brainstorming

One of the most common requests we see at the reference desk is "I need information about X." 

That "X" is generally a broad and undefined topic that can be tackled in numerous ways. This is where brainstorming comes into play.

When brainstorming you want to consider:​

• The who, what, where, when, why, and how of the general topic​
• ​How would you like to answer your question?
• What kind of information exists on this topic?
• What do trends do you see?​
• What gaps can you identify?​
• What questions do you have?
• What do you find interesting?​

I like to recommend that students keep a list of information as they think through these questions. Then, they can develop a mind map to help connect ideas, themes, topics, and examples. Using brainstorming can make it easier to develop a strong research question and find keywords for searching.

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