In this lesson, you will learn about how to choose a topic for your research, based on your interests and what you are curious about. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Making a List of Topics
Remember that the earliest stage of the research process involves choosing a topic, as we explored earlier in the course. A topic is the general subject or content area of your research. Strong topics take time to formulate.
Some academic assignments will allow you to pursue issues that are personally important to you; others will require you to choose from limited options. If you can make personal connections to the topic, you’ll be more interested in the research. In this class, you have a lot of freedom to pursue any interest you like to write about further!
Select a topic that interests you, and don’t assume that any interest is too trivial to be the subject of academic writing. There are journal articles on the music of Taylor Swift, online video games, and internet memes. Also don’t worry that your audience won’t be interested; the basic audience in academic writing is a specialized group who is very interested.
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Take out your list from our earlier brainstorm or make new a list of 5–10 topics that interest you or that you know a lot about. Anything goes at this point, so don’t worry if a topic is too big or too small or not academic enough. Save the list because we will return to it later.
If you are stuck, here are some ideas about finding a research topic:
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Start with your interests. Think of topics related to subjects you're passionate about or curious about. This can make the research and writing process more enjoyable and engaging. If you're interested in the environment, you could research sustainable agriculture techniques or the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems.
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Look for inspiration in current events. Pay attention to news and media stories that catch your attention and explore them further. This can lead you to intriguing subjects that are relevant and timely, such as the ethical implications of AI technology or the impact of social media on mental health. If you recently read a spy novel, you might investigate the rise of surveillance technology and potential consequences for privacy.
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Do some exploring. Browse through social media or online resources related to a general area you're curious about. As you read, take note of any patterns, controversies, or unanswered questions that you could explore further in your research paper. Read the table of contents and major headings. Note the names of important books and experts, often mentioned in reference lists at the end of journal articles. Read encyclopedia articles about your area of interest to learn subcategories and possible ideas for real investigation.
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Talk with others. Ask people in your life or experts in your area of interest what issues seem current. Ask them to recommend readings or the names of authorities on those issues. Look at displays of current books and magazines to find subjects that interest you.
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EXAMPLE
Raina needs to decide on a big-picture topic. She considers the issues that are important to her and her job and decides she wants to write about the impact of digital threats and cybersecurity. This is also something she thinks about in the retail sector.
Once you have a list of potential topics, consider which ones genuinely spark your curiosity and make sure they have enough depth for a thorough research paper. Remember that a strong research paper not only focuses on a compelling topic but also presents well-researched and well-argued evidence supporting a clear thesis. Good luck with your brainstorming!
2. Focusing Your List
To make it easier on yourself, the next step is to narrow your focus. Think about what kind of position or stance you can take on the topic. What about it strikes you as most interesting? Try to be specific. Here are questions to narrow down a topic to a workable question to be answered in your research.
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Return to your list of ideas from earlier in the course. For each idea, consider these questions:
- What is new or controversial about the topic?
- What would I like to learn more about, or what questions do I want to answer?
- What research has been done on the topic?
As you come closer to a topic, keep these questions in mind:
- Is the topic big enough to write an essay about? Is it small enough that I can handle it in an essay?
- Will the topic sustain my interest for the duration of the class?
- Has the question been answered many times? If so, what can I add?
For this course, you will pick one topic to explore through your Touchstones. Try to sufficiently narrow your topic so you can match the time and length specified by your assignment. Avoid topics that are too broad, which would lead to a paper the length of a book. Focus your topic on the scope of this specific paper. Let's look closer at how broad topics compare to more focused topics:
Keep in mind that your topic doesn’t necessarily have to be of interest to a general audience. Most academic writing is primarily of interest only to people in that field. You can write about a topic that is important to you and a particular community.
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Return to your list of possible topics. For each of the items on your list, now consider 2–3 ways you might narrow that topic down. For example, if you are generally interested in healthy eating, you might further consider vegetarianism, eating disorders, or school lunches. These would be narrower topics that you can then start to investigate and question.
As you explore possible topics and develop your focus for the paper, consider significant points of contention—that is, what might be considered debatable: What is an important viewpoint that has not been widely addressed, or a perspective that has not been explored enough?
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EXAMPLE
In the previous example, we considered ways to narrow down the topic of “healthy eating.” You might decide “school lunches” is a great way to narrow that topic down, then focus on a debatable topic like making only healthy food choices available to students or requiring schools to serve vegetarian food options.
In this lesson, you learned more about finding a connection to a topic, starting by making a list of topics and then focusing your list of topics to start the research process. By selecting a strong topic, you can create a project that is engaging, debatable, and meaningful. Brainstorming strategies include drawing from personal interests, current events, class discussions, and research. Once potential topics are identified, they should be narrowed down to a specific, researchable question by considering key themes, existing knowledge, and potential debates.
