It is often the case that a research problem, even one assigned by your professor, interests you because it relates to a current issue in the news or it reflects something you have very recently experienced. Choosing a research problem that connects to current affairs is an excellent way to remain engaged in the topic as you write because it's happening now and a definitive outcome has yet to play itself out. However, you could experience a number of problems if your topic focuses on a very recent issue or event, including the following:
Booth, Wayne C. The Craft of Research. Fourth edition. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2016.
An indication that the timeliness of a research problem is too current would be if the only information you find are press releases from news service organizations like Associated Press, articles from popular magazines and newspapers, online sources like blogs, and other non-scholarly sources.
Depending on the assignment, relying on non-scholarly sources may be acceptable, but most often, professors require you to cite scholarly research studies to support your analysis. However, the nature of scholarly research in the social sciences is that papers submitted for publication frequently take more than a year between editorial review of a manuscript to when the study is finally published. In response to this, many journal publishers provide online access to what is termed "pre-prints." These are essentially online versions of the final draft of a manuscript and, thus, should not be considered the authoritative copy of an article. Given these factors, it will often be difficult, or perhaps impossible, to locate scholarly research studies about a current issue or a newly emerging event.
The obvious solution is to choose a different research problem to investigate. However, do not abandon your topic if it is of particular interest to you because there are several strategies you can use to find scholarly or research-level analysis.
1. Look for related literature that provides the opportunity to conduct a comparative analysis. For example, only now are scholarly studies emerging that investigate the impact and possible significance of the Trump Administration tax cuts. However, by reviewing the research literature about past tax cut initiatives, you can extrapolate key lessons learned or identify new ways of understanding the central research problem associated with the current, emerging event.
2. Locate opinions/statements of prominent authors and scholars. Leading researchers are often called upon by mass media news organizations, editors of leading newspapers, and other print and online media outlets to comment and provide insight about an issue or during and immediately after an event. For example, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many prominent experts on disaster management and recovery were interviewed and asked to comment on how New Orleans should be rebuilt. Although these sources did not constitute a body of scholarly research because they were not peer-reviewed or may not have included references to sources, the writings of leading scholars can be considered authoritative because they represent the opinions and observations of experts who have gained in-depth knowledge of the topic as a result of conducting prior research.
3. Identify research centers and special interest organizations that focus on studying current issues and events. Research centers and special interest organizations often lead the effort to study and publish in-depth reports about a current issue or event. In the case of research centers, this is because their purpose is to bring together scholars and practitioners who have interdisciplinary expertise in a particular area of study. Special interest groups are often proactive in studying a particular topic because their mission is to influence policy or to promote a specific social or economic agenda. Although written by experts, it is important to note that some research institutes and special interest groups are privately funded and, therefore, you should pay particular attention to the possibility of bias in their analysis or recommendations. A good source for identifying research centers and special interest organizations is the Gale Directory Library database.
4. Look for Congressional Hearings and government agency reports. Congress often holds hearings shortly after an important event [e.g., the Ebola outbreak] or about a very new topic of interest [e.g., Syrian refugee crisis]. Although politically-driven, the testimony before a Congressional committee is often presented by leading scholars and experts in the field who provide detailed explanation and analysis of an issue. However, unlike the opinions of experts published in newspapers and other media outlets, the testimony of witnesses at Congressional hearings are under oath. Hearings may also include additional documents submitted by members that could be considered authoritative. In addition to Congress, many governmental agencies issue reports produced by experts in the field. To locate Congressional hearings GO HERE. To locate documents issued by government agencies, GO HERE.
Booth, Wayne C. The Craft of Research. Fourth edition. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Abductive Reasoning and the Timeliness of Thoughtful Speculation
Abductive reasoning refers to determining the most plausible explanation of something based on limited information. In the case of examining very current research problems, the information is limited by the lack of a coherent outcome that can be evaluated and its significance can be measured. Given this, investigations of current research problems often require you to rely predominantly on the direct and uninterpreted analyses of authoritative sources published in primary source materials. Studies of non-current research problems are generally published in scholarly secondary sources. However, because there may be little, if any, prior scholarly research of current issues or events, there is more freedom to apply adductive reasoning to explain possible consequences, solutions, or outcomes. This is not to say that can you ignore related research or delve into idle speculation; your conclusions must be grounded in reality and available evidence, even if that evidence is not peer reviewed. However, the lens through which you interpret current research problems does not have to be designed so rigidly around prior research because it simply may not exist. The opportunity to apply abductive reasoning can be an especially engaging feature of current topic investigations that is generally not available to you in studies that must build upon prior scholarly research.
Tavory, Iddo and Stefan Timmermans. Abductive Analysis: Theorizing Qualitative Research. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2014; Walton, Douglas. Abductive Reasoning. Tuscaloosa, AL: The University of Alabama Press, 2013.