Choose a Topic/Issue
A topic is what the essay or research paper is about. Pick a topic that interests you and you want to learn more about it. If your topic is related to a particular subject, browsing your course syllabus or your textbook can give you some ideas. Choosing a topic for your research paper can be hard and overwhelming with a wide range of possibilities, but there are sources that you can use to help you find a topic such as:
Examples of a topic:
An issue is a concept upon which you can make an argument or debate on which viewpoint you agree upon.
Examples of an issue:
A topic is what the essay or research paper is about. Pick a topic that interests you and you want to learn more about it. If your topic is related to a particular subject, browsing your course syllabus or your textbook can give you some ideas. Choosing a topic for your research paper can be hard and overwhelming with a wide range of possibilities, but there are sources that you can use to help you find a topic such as:
- Books & Textbooks - skim table of contents, chapter subject headings, index, and/or bibliography for ideas
- LRC Databases - several of our databases has a "Browse Topics" feature that will allow you to get started on a topic that interests you
- Magazines & Newspapers - read the abstract (i.e. summary of the article) or the article's first & last paragraphs
Examples of a topic:
- Woman Suffrage Movement
- William Shakespeare
- Nuclear Waste
An issue is a concept upon which you can make an argument or debate on which viewpoint you agree upon.
Examples of an issue:
- What is the safe and economic disposal of nuclear waste?
- Do gun bans violate Americans' Second Amendment rights?
How to Narrow Down Your Broad Topic
Chances are that you have chosen a topic that is too broad or large and there is an overload of information. A good rule of thumb for identifying a broad topic is by the checking out the page length of your paper. For example you simply can not properly discuss all aspects of World War II in 5-10 pages. You will have to narrow down your topic by taking the topic and breaking it down into smaller ideas while asking yourself journalistic questions: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, and How? Look at the infographics below to help guide you in narrowing your topic. As you narrow down your topic you will begin to formulate a research question which will drive your research and ultimately create your claim (thesis) statement.
Chances are that you have chosen a topic that is too broad or large and there is an overload of information. A good rule of thumb for identifying a broad topic is by the checking out the page length of your paper. For example you simply can not properly discuss all aspects of World War II in 5-10 pages. You will have to narrow down your topic by taking the topic and breaking it down into smaller ideas while asking yourself journalistic questions: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, and How? Look at the infographics below to help guide you in narrowing your topic. As you narrow down your topic you will begin to formulate a research question which will drive your research and ultimately create your claim (thesis) statement.
Image from: Indiana Wesleyan University Library
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Image from: IUPUI University Library
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Image from: IUPUI University Library
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Using Gale Topic Finder to Help Narrow Your Research Topic
The tutorial below will give you some strategies for narrowing wide research topics using the "Topic Finder" feature in the Gale In Context databases.
How to Broaden Your Topic
You will also run into problems if you pick a topic that is too narrow. If a topic is too specific you will have a hard time finding information. An example of a narrow topic would be writing about your favorite author's/musician's/actor's childhood. You can not write an effective research paper on their childhood for 5-10 pages long. If you are struggling to find information on a very specific topic, try broadening it by adding more keywords to your search.