The Sherrod Library owns or subscribes to a number of items relating to the study of the continent Africa and its people. When viewing material, consider the age and perspective of the work. Some items may contain language that is outdated or harmful. Please come to us with any significant concerns.
The material you need in this course may differ from that of your classmates, depending on your research topics and questions.
Your research topic should be the first thing you come up with. This can be broad, and reflect a general interest you have: "African Women and the Media." Your research question, then, will ask a specific question about your topic. For example, "Has colorism played a role in the portrayal of African women in North African media?"
Research questions may be narrow or broad, and that can effect the number and type of sources you will find when conducting research. Aim for a question that is neither too broad: "What were the traditional gender roles for women in Africa?" Or too narrow: "What were the traditional gender roles for Igbo women in 1935?" A good way to determine whether or not your topic is too narrow or too broad is by running some keywords through OneSearch. If you find your search is bringing up 50,000 results, your focus is likely too broad. If you find yourself only coming up with 5 results, it's potentially too narrow. If all else fails, don't hesitate to meet with a librarian either by making an appointment or visiting Sherrod 156 for drop-in assistance!
For More Information on Research Topics