LibGuides: Fiat Lux: How Do I Brainstorm Topics?

Exploring Sources for Ideas

Explore information sources to generate ideas for your own research. These sources include both free web sources and subscription databases.

News Content

Varied Content (magazines, news, journals, viewpoint pieces)

Magazines

Additional Websites

Brookings - Our Research
The Brookings Institute is a public policy organization in Washington, DC. with over 300 contributors. Different viewpoints are represented for the following topics: foreign policy, economics, development, governance, and metropolitan policy. Policy recommendations may be included.
TED Talks - by Topic
TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a nonprofit committed to spreading ideas on a variety of topics. TED Talks are usually 18 minutes or less.

Specialized Encyclopedias

Mapping Your Research Question

Use this video to start thinking about topics of interest. You will be occasionally asked to stop the video to conduct your brainstorming. (UCLA Libraries, 2:52)