REL 101 - Compare & Contrast (Stepp)

2. Explore Your Topic

After thoroughly examining your assignment, now it's time to look for some initial background research on your topic.  Try a search in the following database to learn more about your topic.

Analyze Your Topic

Who

Knowing the names of individuals, groups, or organizations connected to your topic will help you focus your search on information they've published.  For example: the Association of Religious Data Archives collects statistics and provides searchable data on many religions from around the world.  The ARDA might be a good place to start researching. They even have a feature to compare religions based on various statistics.

What

Reading a summary to learn more about your topic will help you understand it better. It can also provide you with keywords, specialized vocabulary, and definitions, which will be useful for future searches. You may need to familiarize yourself with the terms used to describe the religions you chose to research.

When

If your topic has significant events associated with it, knowing what they are and when they happened will help you choose the best sources to consult.  For example, are there current events that involve the religions you chose, or were there significant events that happened 200 years ago?

Where

Sometimes places are important to a topic, knowing the important places associated with your religions will help you choose the best sources to consult.  For example, the SCC Library has multiple reference books on World Religions.  Knowing exactly "where" can help you pick the right sources.

Why

Getting background information on why people are interested in your topic can help you craft an argument. Also, background information can help you determine similarities and differences between the religions you chose for this assignment.