The document provides guidance on properly selecting and defining a research topic. It discusses choosing a meaningful topic of interest, focusing the topic, identifying key concepts, and writing a clear research question or thesis statement to guide research. Defining the topic is important to make the assignment manageable and find relevant information.

1. DEFINING A TOPIC
Properly selecting a topic can save you time when you start looking for information.
This section will help you with:
• Choosing a meaningful topic – one that interests you.
• Focusing your topic – choose an aspect to discuss in your
paper
• Identifying key concepts to use when you begin searching
• Writing a clear research question or thesis statement that
will guide your research.

2. Choosing a topic
The first step in any research assignment
Select one:
My instructor assigned a topic: I must choose a topic:
• Identify potential areas of • Start by selecting a broad topic
interest in the topic
• Then explore it to focus on
• Focus your topic by selecting specific issues.
one or two key ideas that you
will want to expand
• This will help you to pinpoint
key ideas to use in your paper.
• Choosing specific issues will You may want to do some
make the assignment more preliminary research to see
manageable what kind of information is
available.

3. Example: Your instructor assigned you the topic:
Violence in sports.
This topic is too broad. Think of specific issues you
want to write about:
Media coverage of violence in sports
Violence in a particular sport (baseball,
hockey, etc.)
Effect of violence in sports on young players.

4. You decide your topic will be Reality
Television.
Here are some areas of interest you could
explore:
Select a specific genre:
crime, competition, social issues
Audience participation in reality television
Effects of reality television on culture

5. Having a tough time identifying issues?
Here are some places to look for ideas:
Review the textbook
Consult an encyclopedia
Look at current newspapers,
magazines, journals or websites
Talk to your librarian

6. Focus your topic
A good topic is broad enough to find information, but narrow enough to fit in the
assignment guidelines.
What happens if my topic is too What happens if my topic is too
broad? narrow?
• Too much information • Not enough information
• Not enough time to read all • Spend too much time trying
your sources to track down sources
• Too many issues to cover in
one assignment • Paper will lack depth
• Paper will lack depth
How do I broaden my topic?
How do I narrow my topic?
Expand location or time period
Find focus by selecting issue of interest
Consider related issues
Choose a time period or geographic
Consult an encyclopedia to get a
location
broader scope of topic
Consult an encyclopedia to learn more
about specific subject issues

7. Is this topic too broad, too narrow, or just right?
• The role of the United States in the liberation of France in
World War II.
Too broad!
To narrow this topic you could focus
on a battle, a branch of the
military, foreign policy, etc.
It is not easy to select a topic that is “just right.”
Keep in mind – your topic may change as you do your research.

8. EXAMPLE: Your topic is Immigration to the United
States. This subject is too broad, you will find too much
information.
Find a focus by:
Choosing a place of origin or time period:
Irish immigration in the 19th century.
Select a specific issue or effect:
Cultural effects of Irish immigration in
Chicago.
Select a current problem with immigration
policy.

9. EXAMPLE: Your topic is effects of television
violence on children from single parent homes in
Chicago.
This topic is too narrow. Rather than
covering many aspects at the same time, broaden
the topic to be less specific:
- Effects of television violence on children in
single parent homes.
Or consider related issues:
- Television violence in children’s programs
- The role of television in single parent homes

10. Identifying key concepts & search terms
• Identifying key concepts of your topic makes researching
more manageable and leads you to specific subject
terms, keywords, and synonyms that you can use in
your search.
• A research topic usually has more than one key concept.
These are underlying ideas that you will discuss in your
paper.

11. Select the keywords for this topic:
The consequences of oil spills on marine life in the United States.
a) consequences, oil spills
b) consequences, oil spills, marine life, United States
c) marine life, oil spills
d) marine life, oil spills, United States
ANSWER: D – marine life, oil spills and United States
All three key concepts are identified. The term
“consequences” is not significant.

12. EXAMPLE: Your topic is the effects of media coverage and opinion polls
during election campaigns.
There are 3 main concepts in this topic:
- Media Coverage
- Opinion Polls
- Election Campaigns
For each concept identify keywords and synonyms:
Media Coverage: mass media, television, newspapers, etc.
Opinion Polls: surveys, polls, election forecasting
Election Campaigns: political campaigns, political parties, debates

13. Writing a research question
Writing a research question or thesis statement helps you further define what
type of information you will need for your assignment.
What is a research question? What is a thesis statement?
• A research question • A thesis statement
guides your search. indicates your position on
• It should: an issue that you will
• State your main concept defend in your paper.
• Be debatable and neutral • It should:
• Be clear and specific • Take a stance
• Outline the purpose of the
assignment
• Be clear, specific, and well-
written

14. Examples:
Does education in prisons play a role in
reducing recidivism?
Should additional regulations be placed
on genetically modified foods?

15. Think of your thesis statement as one possible answer to
your research question.
Examples:
Educational opportunities for inmates reduce
recidivism.
U.S. should not regulate genetically modified food
industry, as long as products are identified.

16. Which do I write?
Depends on the assignment, ask your
instructor.
Writing both can be helpful to guide
your research.

17. Summary
Defining a topic is more than just knowing what you want to write about.
• Remember to:
• Focus your topic sufficiently, not too broad or too narrow
• Identify key concepts to prepare as you begin your research
• Write a specific research question or thesis statement that
you will attempt to answer or defend when gathering information
and writing your paper.