http://chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/fc/choosingtopix.html

          CHOOSING A RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC (in Literature)

     There are many ways of choosing a Research Paper Topic. Here's
one way to proceed. It's simple, and methodical -- anybody can use it,
anytime. I would like each of you to go through this method.

     1. Look up whatever work you want to do research on in the _MLA
Bibliography_ (if you have it on CD Rom, it's easiest, of course). 

     Make it very _broad_ -- an author, or at least a major work. The
goal is to come up with a _lot_ of "hits".

     2. Look over the list of "hits" carefully. Even if there are
hundreds of them, it will only take an hour or so.

     LOOK FOR _RECURRING_ TOPICS, on which there is some scholarly
controversy. Best for your purposes are TOPICS THAT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN
ON THREE OR MORE TIMES, BY DIFFERENT RESEARCHERS.

     Make a list of these topics.

     3. Compile a BIBLIOGRAPHY of at least 5 works on EACH of TWO
different topics. The works should include BOTH  SCHOLARLY BOOKS and SCHOLARLY
ARTICLES in research journals.

     4. Locate each of the books and journals in libraries, by
TELNETTING to libraries OTHER than MSU's Sprague Library. Put the
bibliographical details (library; call number, etc.) in your
bibliography, after the entry for the work above.

     5. USE MLA STYLE for the bibliographical entries. 

     You can use the _MLA Handbook_ on reserve in Sprague Library. Or
you can use the 

on-line sources for documentation on my 'Research and
Documentation' page.

     http://chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/fc/choosingtopix.html