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Chapter 2
How Do I Select a Subject?
Writing is no trouble: you just jot down ideas as they occur to you. The jotting is simplicity itself—it is the occurring which is difficult.
STEPHEN LEACOCK
Here, There, and Everywhere
This book presents a clear, effective, proven way to write a fine research paper. The steps are arranged in chronological order, from start to finish. Be aware, however, that writers rarely take such neat steps. While it is strongly recommended that you follow the steps in order, don't worry if you find yourself repeating a step, doing two steps at the same time, or skipping a step and then returning to it.
For example, you select and narrow your topic to create a thesis statement. Then you set off to find the information you need. Once you start looking at sources, however, you discover that there is (a) too much material on the topic or (b) not enough. In this case, you might go back to the previous step and rework your thesis to accommodate your findings and the new direction your work has taken. (Of course, you always have the option of sticking with your original thesis and creating the research material you need. More on this in Chapter 7.)

 

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Here's another common occurrence. You think you have found all the material you need and so have started writing. But half-way through your first draft, you find that you are missing a key piece of information, a crucial fact, an essential detail. To plug the hole, you go back and find the material—even though you are, in effect, repeating a step in the process. That's OK.
The process presented in this book is effective, but remember that "one size may not fit all." As a result, you may find yourself adapting the information here to fit your particular writing style.
That said, let's move on to the first step in the process of writing a research paper, selecting a topic.
Step 1: Brainstorming Subjects
Sometimes, your teacher, professor, or supervisor assigns the subject for your research paper. In these cases, you usually have very little choice about what you will write. You may be able to stretch the subject a bit around the edges or tweak it to fit your specific interests, but most often you have to follow the assignment precisely as it was given. To do otherwise means risking failure, since the instructor was precise in the assignment.
In other cases, however, you are instructed to develop the subject and topic on your own. Very often this is part of the research paper process, for it teaches you to generate ideas and evaluate them. It helps you learn valuable decision-making skills in addition to writing and research methods.
Choosing a subject for a research paper calls for good judgment and solid decision-making skills. Experienced writers know that the success or failure of a research paper often depends on its subject; even the best writers find it difficult (if not impossible) to create a winning paper around an unsuitable subject.
The right topic can make your paper; the wrong one can break it. Unsuitable subjects share one or more of the following characteristics:

 

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• They cannot be completed within the time allocated.
• They cannot be researched since the material does not exist.
• They do not persuade since they are expository or narrative.
• They are inappropriate, offensive, or vulgar.
Nearly every subject can be researched, but not every subject should be researched for a number of reasons. For example, why bother researching a subject that many others have done before you? Trite, shopworn, and boring subjects often lead to trite, shopworn, and boring research papers. Give yourself a break by starting with a fresh, exciting subject.
As a result, it's important to think through a subject completely before you rush into research and writing. In addition, your writing will be better if your subject is suitable for your readers and purpose.
Planning
Where can you get ideas for research paper subjects? You have two main sources: yourself or outside experts.
Yourself
Let's start with yourself. All writing begins with thinking. When you come up with a subject for a research paper, as with any other writing assignment, you must draw on yourself as a source. All writers depend on their storehouse of experience—everything they have seen, heard, read, and even dreamed.
People often worry that they have nothing to write about, especially when it comes to a mammoth project such as a research paper. Often, however, you know far more than you are willing to give yourself credit for. Your task? Discover which of your ideas is most suitable for the research paper you have to do.
Here are some proven techniques for generating subjects. Since not every method works for every writer, experiment with these techniques to find the one or ones that suit

 

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your writing style. And even if one method works very well for you, don't be afraid to try other ones. They may uncover still other possible subjects for your paper.
1. Keep an idea book. Many professional writers keep an "idea book" as a place to store their ideas and let them incubate. Think of this as a scrapbook rather than as a diary or journal.
Examples:
Your idea book can include:
Newspaper clippings.
Magazine articles.
Personal letters that may spark ideas.
Snapshots.
Postcards.
Other visuals that can serve as the seeds for a great research paper.
2. Listing. You can list all the ideas you associate with a specific subject. This method allows you to come up with many ideas fast because you are writing words, not sentences or paragraphs. Jot down the numbers 1 to 10, and then list any ideas you have for research paper subjects.
Example:
1. Restricting immigration
2. Celebrity worship
3. Eating disorders
4. Sport utility vehicles
5.Women in the military
6. Working women
7. Divorce laws
8. Censorship of novels
9. Euthanasia
10. Gays in the military
3. Webbing (clustering). Webbing, also called clustering or mapping, is a visual way of sparking ideas for subjects. Since a web looks very different from a paragraph or list, many writers find that it frees their mind to roam over a wider variety of ideas.
When you create a web, first write your subject in the center of a page. Draw a circle around it. Next draw lines radiating from the center and circles at the end of each line. Write an idea in each circle.

 

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Example:
13504-0015a.GIF
4. Making visuals. A web is a visual format, but you can use other visuals to generate ideas for research paper subjects. Charts work especially well for some people, blanks and word balloons for others. Experiment with different visual formats until you find which ones work best for you in each writing situation.
Example:
Webs work well with humanities-based topics.
5. 5. Ws and H. The "5 Ws and H" stand for who, what, when, where, why, and how. They are also called "The Journalist's Questions" because they appear in the first paragraph (the ''lead") of every news story. Asking these questions forces you to approach a subject from several different angles. Many people find this approach useful for starting highly detailed papers.
6. Freewriting. This is nonstop writing that jogs your memory and releases hidden ideas. When you freewrite, jot down whatever comes to mind. Don't worry about

 

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spelling, punctuation, grammar, or style. Just try to keep writing. Select the method of composition that allows you to freewrite most quickly: keyboarding or longhand. The key to freewriting is letting your mind roam and seeing what subjects it uncovers.
7. Reading. Reading widely can help you come up with great research paper topics. Try different genres to get ideas. Don't restrict yourself!
Examples:
Short stories
Novels
Essays
Poems
Newspapers
Magazines
Professional journals
Critical reviews
Autobiographies
Biographies
Plays and drama
Scripts

Outside Experts
Can't come up with anything you like? Why not consult outside experts? In addition to speaking to people who have written research papers, check with the teachers, parents, and professionals you know. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, real estate salespeople, computer programmers, and other businesspeople are all excellent sources for ideas.
Step 2: Considering Your Parameters
If you are asked to develop your own subject for a research paper, how can you decide which of the subjects you have brainstormed shows the most promise? Start with these four guidelines:
1. Time. The amount of time you have to write influences every writing situation, but especially a research paper. Since so many research-related variables are out of your control—such as availability of materials—you have to select a subject that you can complete in the time allotted. This is not easy to determine when you first start

 

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writing research papers, however. For help, study the sample papers in the last section of this guide.
2. Length. The length of the paper is also a factor in your choice of topics. It obviously takes much longer to write a 50-page research paper than to write a 10-page research paper. Weigh this consideration as you select a subject. The shorter the paper and the longer the time you have to write, the more leeway you have to select a challenging subject.
3. Research. The type of research you use also determines the subject you select. For instance, if your assignment specifies that you must use primary sources such as letters, interviews, and eyewitness accounts, you might not wish to do a paper on Shakespeare, since relatively few primary sources are available and they are difficult to read. Conversely, if your teacher has specified that you may use secondary sources such as critical reviews, a paper on one of Shakespeare's plays would be very suitable.
4. Sources. The number of sources you must use and their availability is also a factor in your choice of a subject. If you have access to a major university library with a million or more volumes, you are probably going to find the material you need. But if you do not have an extensive library in your area, it might be much harder for you to get secondary material. In this case, you might want to consider a subject that requires more primary sources such as experiments, interviews, and surveys. See Chapter 5 for a full discussion of primary and secondary sources.
Step 3: Evaluating Subjects
You should not select a subject hastily, but neither should you "shop till you drop"! Here are ten guidelines to make the process easier:
1. Consider your purpose. With a research paper, your purpose is to convince. Persuasive writing succeeds in large part because it has such a clear sense of purpose. Keep your purpose in mind as you weigh the suitability

 

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of various subjects. If you cannot slant the subject to be persuasive, it is not a good choice for a research paper.
2. Select a subject you like. If you have a choice, try to select a subject that interests you. Since you will be working with the subject for weeks and even months, you will find writing your research paper much more enjoyable if you like the subject matter.
Start with hobbies, sports, favorite courses, career plans, and part-time jobs.
Example:
If you are interested in computers, you might want to:
Look behind the scenes at programming, hardware, or systems analysis.
Evaluate the impact of computers on specific fields.
Consider the effect of computers on children. (Should kids be playing outside with their friends rather than spending so much time at a keyboard? Are we raising a generation of sedentary children as a result of an overemphasis on computer skills?)
School courses can also be an excellent source of topics for your research paper. If your favorite class is physical education, consider a persuasive paper related to the subject.
Example:
Should physical education be mandatory?
On the other side, should more time be allocated to physical education—up to two or even three hours a day?
Is there a relationship between physical and emotional health?
Can being physically fit have an impact on our emotional health?
What happens if you have been assigned a subject you detest? See if you can find a slant—an aspect of the subject—hat you like.
3. Be practical. Even though you want a subject that appeals to you, look for topics that have sufficient information available, but not so much information that you can't possibly wade through it all.
Example:
Avoid sweeping papers on the entire tax system, transportation methods, or computers. You'll be writing long past the mandatory retirement age.

 

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Writing a research paper is challenging enough without making the task that much harder for yourself.
4. Beware of ''hot" subjects. "Hot" subjects—very timely, popular issues—often lack the expert attention that leads to reliable information. The books, articles, and interviews on such subjects have often been produced in great haste. As a result, they are not carefully fact-checked. In addition, such research papers get stale very quickly; sometimes the issue can seem dated even before you finish writing the paper!
The media, especially newspapers, magazines, radio shows, and web sites, can be an excellent source of research paper subjects. But rather than focusing on the side everyone else sees, probe a little deeper for the story behind the story. This can help you avoid getting trapped in a subject that's here today but gone tomorrow.
5. Consider your audience. As you select a subject, always focus on your audience—the person or people who will be reading your paper. Don't select a subject that condescends to your readers, offends them, or panders to them. Don't try to shock them, either: It always backfires.
6. Recognize that not all questions have answers. When you write a research paper, you are attempting to find an answer to the question you have posed or the one given to you. Remember that not all research questions lead to definitive answers. Rather, some questions invite informed opinions based on the evidence you have gathered from research. Dealing with questions that don't have definitive answers can make your paper provocative and intriguing.
Now that you've learned how to select a subject, we'll turn to the crucial issue of narrowing your topic. You'll learn why this is such an important step in a successful paper.

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