1.4 Focusing Your Topic
After you have done some background reading, you will probably have formed a few questions in your mind, or at least interests or concerns that can be stated as questions. You should write these questions down, and then reflect on which of these questions you most want to get an answer to. That question may form the basis for your narrowed or focused topic.
Why focus the topic?
An unfocussed topic will
- lead to a general treatment of the topic that an instructor will find uninteresting and deserving of a low grade.
- give you too many sources, -- dozens of books or thousands of periodical articles, -- and leave you no way to select the few that you want to read.
- give you little guidance to help you select the parts of sources you need to read and the points you will want to make notes about.
How can I focus my topic?
Divide and conquer. Your topic may have several pieces or categories to it. You can narrow by selecting one of those categories.
Combination. Look at how your topic intersects with another topic that you have an interest in.
Point of View. Many topics may be approached from a number of aspects, such as history, law, economics, or technology. Again, you can narrow by selecting one.
Your own particular angle on the topic. You find you can make a personal connection to the topic, and that becomes your focus.
A well-focused topic may have two parts.
- One is the scope of the topic. Are you going to write about guns, gun control, or a particular regulation of guns?
- The second part is the point you will want to make about the topic or the treatment you want to give the topic. Are you for or against? Do you have an argument? Do you have an insight you want to share?
A narrowed and focused topic can guide your search for sources and information. Even a not-quite focused topic, together with your background information, will be invaluable in making search statements and planning search strategies.
Read more on "Formulating a Research Question".
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