PaolaShreider
New member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2026
- Messages
- 15
I picked something I'm really interested in: the role of Chinese railroad workers in building the transcontinental railroad, but specifically focusing on their labor organizing and protests in the 1860s. I thought it would be perfect - interesting, specific, relevant.
But I've been searching for WEEKS and I CANNOT find sources. Like, I've used JSTOR, ProQuest, Google Scholar, the library database... I'm finding stuff ABOUT the railroad, stuff ABOUT Chinese immigrants, even stuff ABOUT labor movements. But NOTHING that puts it all together the way I need. It's like my specific topic doesn't exist in academic literature.
Is my topic too narrow? Too weird? Or am I just bad at research?
My professor said we need at least 10 scholarly sources and I have like... 3 that are kinda related but not exactly. I don't know what to do. Do I change my topic completely this late in the semester?? That feels like starting over.
Has anyone else had this problem? How do you find sources for a niche topic? Are there tricks or databases I don't know about? Or do I need to broaden my topic and make it less specific?
I'm meeting with a research librarian tomorrow but I wanted to ask here too because y'all are usually helpful.
Also, if I can't find sources... does that mean my topic is actually original and I should just use primary sources?? Or is that too ambitious for an undergrad?
But I've been searching for WEEKS and I CANNOT find sources. Like, I've used JSTOR, ProQuest, Google Scholar, the library database... I'm finding stuff ABOUT the railroad, stuff ABOUT Chinese immigrants, even stuff ABOUT labor movements. But NOTHING that puts it all together the way I need. It's like my specific topic doesn't exist in academic literature.
Is my topic too narrow? Too weird? Or am I just bad at research?
My professor said we need at least 10 scholarly sources and I have like... 3 that are kinda related but not exactly. I don't know what to do. Do I change my topic completely this late in the semester?? That feels like starting over.
Has anyone else had this problem? How do you find sources for a niche topic? Are there tricks or databases I don't know about? Or do I need to broaden my topic and make it less specific?
I'm meeting with a research librarian tomorrow but I wanted to ask here too because y'all are usually helpful.
Also, if I can't find sources... does that mean my topic is actually original and I should just use primary sources?? Or is that too ambitious for an undergrad?