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Hot Topics: Develop & Refine the Topic

ImmigrationImmigration: Develop & Refine the Topic

This page walks you through the the process of refining the research topic of immigration. We've already gone through the steps of:

green checkmark1. Browse for Ideas

2. Pick a Topic

Pick a Topic

listed on the main Pick a Topic page. Next, it's important to develop and focus your topic more with the next two steps:

right arrow3. Do a Little Research

right arrow4. Refine Your Topic


3. Do a Little Research

Read a few articles about immigration. They could be from the place you were browsing, news articles you find through Google, a library reference database such as Britannica Academic, or even a Wikipedia article.

► See the Find Sources page for this sample topic for links to library resources.

You want to get a bigger picture of the issues around the topic. A quick search in different places shows more specific issues and things related to genetic modification.

Source Search Results / Article Topics
Google search on immigration filtered to news hotels and immigration, immigration reform, southern border, border facilities, spousal immigration
Britannica Academic (library database) search on immigration and United States "Immigration" section in "Democracy" article some historical background, anti-immigrant sentiment, connection to human rights
Wikipedia "Immigration to the United States" article history of immigration to the U.S.; contemporary immigration; demographic, economic, social, and political effects; legal issues

Google news results for "immigration"


4. Refine Your Topic

Based on the background research you've just done, narrow in on a more specific topic. Your project will be much more manageable if you focus on one piece of the larger topic. Here are some examples of narrower takes on the immigration topic:

  • Contemporary (current) legal spousal immigration to the United States
  • Migration crisis at the southern U.S. border
  • U.S. policy of asylum for refugees
  • Economic impact of undocumented immigrants / illegal immigration to the U.S.
  • Question of reforming current policy for legal immigration
  • Backlog of cases in immigration courts
  • People who overstay their visas
  • Immigration enforcement by local law enforcement
  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Happy with your topic?

Find SourcesMove on to the next step of finding more sources on immigration.

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NPR News on Immigration

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