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Chapter 3
How Do I Narrow My Topic? (and Why?)
Writing is just having a sheet of paper, a pen, and not a shadow of an idea of what you're going to say.
FRANÇOISE SAGAN
The real challenge in dealing with research paper topics comes when you choose or are assigned a subject that is very broad. How can you deal with this? You have to narrow the subject into a topic. This means you find smaller aspects of the topic within the subject area to use as the basis of your research paper.
Fortunately, nearly all very broad topics can be subdivided in hundreds of ways. And just as luckily, you only have to think of a few subtopics until you come to one that seems the best choice for your research paper.
Subject vs. Topic
Let's start by reviewing the difference between a subject and a topic.
Subjects
A subject of a research paper is the general content. Subjects are broad and general.

 

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Examples of subjects for a research paper:
Health
Music
Television
Education
The Civil War
Travel
Athletics
Video games
Ecology
Foreign policy
Topics
The topic of a research paper is the specific issue discussed.
Examples of topics based on the previous subjects:
Subject
Topic
Health
Increasing/decreasing AIDS funding
 
AIDS testing of health care workers
 
The benefits of fad diets
Music
Censorship of rap music
 
Links between music and violence
 
Comparison of two singers, groups, etc.
Television
The V-chip in televisions
 
The cable wars
 
A specific show or series
Education
Year-round schooling
 
Changes in the curriculum
 
Weapons policies
The Civil War
Decisive battles
 
Key generals
Travel
Airplane safety
 
Specific destinations
 
Solo travelers
Athletics
Status of "amateurs" in athletics
 
Funding of women in sports
 
Sports and advertising

 

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World Wide Web
"Filtering" on-line sources
 
Ordering from on-line companies
 
Virtual romances—a real danger?
Ecology
Wetlands vs. mini-malls
 
Saving endangered species
 
Recycling—worth the effort?
Foreign policy
America's stand on the establishment of a Palestinian state

Shaping Your Ideas
Every time you narrow a subject into a topic, remember your boundaries and parameters: time, length, audience, and purpose. Keep all other special considerations in mind as well. Always consider what you can handle within the restrictions you have been given—as well as what you would most enjoy writing about for several months!
1. Start with a general subject that interests you and fits the parameters of the assignment.
2. Phrase the subject as a question.
3. Brainstorm subdivisions of the subject to create topics.
4. Consult different sources for possible subtopics, such as the card catalog, reference books, magazines, friends, and the media.
5. Sift the ideas until you find one that suits your taste and the assignment.
6. Write your final topic as a question.
That said, let's explore the process one writer followed to narrow a subject into a topic.
Example:
Samantha wanted to write a research paper on some aspect of television, a very broad subject.
By looking through the card catalog, talking to friends, watching television, and reading articles on the subject in general interest news magazines, Samantha came up with these ideas:

 

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Subject
Television
Question
What do I want to find out about TV?
Specific topics
TV as "vast wasteland"
 
TV as "chewing gum for the mind"
 
Children and television
 
Educational television
 
Cable television
 
Television documentaries
 
Golden Age of television
 
Television and ethnic stereotypes
 
Sex and violence on television
 
Amount of TV watched and its effect
 
Tabloid TV

Reading over the list, Samantha realized that some of her ideas were still very broad. For example, the idea of "children and television" is large enough to be the subject of a book—or a series of books! The same is true of "television documentaries," "Golden Age of television," and ''cable television.''
Even narrowing down some of these topics might not lead to persuasive essays. "Cable television," for instance, seems better suited to an expository essay that explains the history of the field, its impact on viewers, and so on.
One evening, Samantha was watching reruns of a children's "educational" television show she had loved years ago when the idea came to her: Is educational television really educational? Maybe educational TV indeed taught numbers, letters, and other necessary content—or perhaps it affected children negatively.
Now Samantha had her narrowed topic and could continue with the next step, writing a thesis statement. This is covered in the next chapter.
Further Examples:
Subject
Topic
Supreme Court
Is the Supreme Court more important than Congress in setting social policy?
Intelligence
Is intelligence determined by nature or nurture?

 

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Sports
Are competitive sports, such as football and basketball, overemphasized in American culture?
Education
Does a college education necessarily prepare a student to obtain a well paying job? Should it serve this function?
Eating disorders
Are eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, caused by the media's emphasis on appearance and weight?
Boating
Should all boaters be required to earn a license?

Checklist
Deciding on a suitable subject and narrowing it down to manageable proportions are crucial steps toward the success of your research paper. How can you decide if you have correctly narrowed your topic? Use this checklist every time you select a topic:
______ 1. Is my topic too limited?
Problem: Sometimes in your zeal to make the topic more precise, you narrow it so much that you don't have enough left to write about.
Solution: Always remember how many pages you have to fill. The overly narrow topic may be just right for a 350- to 500-word essay; so save it for that assignment. Then find a topic that fills the length required by the research paper assignment.
______ 2. Is my topic still too broad?
Problem: You may think you have narrowed your topic sufficiently, but it may still be too vast for the assignment.
Solution: Check your sources. How many pages do they devote to the topic? If it takes other writers a book to answer the question you have posed, your topic is still too big.

 

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______ 3. Is my topic too technical?
Problem: The topic you have selected is highly technical and you don't have the background to answer it.
Solution: Get a new topic. Unless you have the background you need for the topic, you're going to end up spending most of your time backpedaling and filling in the gaps in your knowledge. This is not the time to teach yourself nuclear physics, calculus, or computer programming in C+++.
______ 4. Is my topic stale?
Problem: Everyone seems to know everything about your topic. Who wants to read another paper about the bad effects of alcohol, speeding, or street drugs? What reaction can you expect? Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. If your topic bores you before you've even started writing, you can bet it will bore your audience.
Solution: Get a new topic that is fresh and original. A sparkling topic automatically gives you an edge, even if your writing is a little weak.
______ 5. Is my topic too controversial?
Problem: You are afraid you are going to offend your audience with a controversial topic such as abortion, unsealed adoption records, or sex education.
Solution: Don't take the risk. Start with a new topic that suits both your audience and purpose. Papers that shock and offend take unnecessary risks.
______ 6. Is my topic not controversial at all?
Problem: If there's only one opinion about your topic or the vast majority of people think the same way as you do, there's no point in arguing the issue.

 

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Solution: You can't argue two sides of the issue if your topic has only one side. Get a new topic that is controversial (without being offensive, of course!).
______ 7. Is the topic too new?
Problem: If the topic is too fresh, such as the Starr Report, there may not be sufficient information available yet to fill a paper on your specific subtopics.
Solution: Find a topic that affords you sufficient information to cover the issue thoroughly.
______ 8. Do I like my topic enough to want to write a research paper on it?
Problem: Your teacher likes your topic, your parents like your topic, your buddies like your topic. Even your dog likes your topic. The problem? You don't like your topic.
Solution: You guessed it: Get a new topic.
In Chapter 4, you'll explore how to write a thesis statement. That way, you'll learn how to keep your writing on target.

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