Christopher has been given a research assignment on the European Union. What should his step first be?

• A. Reading about the European Union in a digital or print encyclopedia
• B. Brainstorming a list of specific research questions about European Union
• C. Making a list of subtopics about the European Union, such as geography or politics
• D. Analyzing various sources on the European Union for reliability

Answer: (A)

Starting a research project about a broad topic like the European Union works best when you first build a general, solid understanding of the topic. Reading about the European Union in a digital or print encyclopedia provides a concise, neutral overview that defines key terms, explains how the EU is structured, and outlines its major institutions, member states, and functions. This broad grounding helps you see how the topic is organized and what kinds of questions and subtopics are meaningful, without getting bogged down in details.

Once you have that foundation, you’re in a much better position to shape your work. You can brainstorm specific research questions with a clearer sense of what’s important and what’s been covered, and you can sketch subtopics that align with the big picture you’ve just learned. Analyzing the reliability of sources is essential, but you generally do that more effectively after you’ve identified what you’re studying and which sources are relevant to those focused questions.