Pick a research topic:

• Read your assignment instructions carefully.
• Pick a topic that interests you and meets the assignment instructions.
• Narrow or broaden the scope of your topic so that it is "doable."

What's scope? Scope refers to the "people, places and things" or "who, what, when and where" that you are studying.

Identify key concepts:

• Use a dictionary or encyclopedia to find definitions and explanations of terms and concepts.​
  • New encyclopedia of Africa
  • UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlement Programme
  • EIU.com (Country information)
  • Regional Atlas on West Africa

Do an initial search for academic sources

Here is a Subject Guide to help you pick the right databases, search-engines and sources for your assignment.