Choosing the topic for an essay or research paper is often a difficult process. Is it a topic you are interested in? Can you find enough credible information to write an entire paper about it? Does it meet the assignment requirements? Is it too broad or too narrow? Here are some helpful tips for selecting the topic of your paper.
1. Review the assignment.
Make sure you understand your instructor's directions. Review the syllabus or assignment sheet carefully. If you need clarification, ask your instructor for help.
2. Review the course material.
Which topics covered in class are the most interesting to you? What topics do you have the best notes about? Have you done any extra research or reading about a certain topic?
3. Choose a topic you like.
Figure out ways to incorporate your program of study and what you are passionate about. You are going to spend quite a bit of time learning about your topic. Make sure you won't dread that time...maybe you will even be excited about it!
4. Write down all of your ideas.
It is good to have more than one choice as you begin conducting research because one topic may prove too difficult, too limited, or too broad. For example, a student recently stopped by the Learning Lab to work on a paper about violent advertisements and children's attitudes and behavior. His topic was too narrow, so he changed it to violent television shows and children's attitudes and behavior.
So, what happens when your topic is chosen for you? Explore. Learn more, and find an angle or approach to the topic that interests you. If you feel stuck or uninterested or do not understand the topic, talk to your instructor. Find out what she or he hopes you will gain from studying the topic. Focus your paper on achieving that goal. The benefit of an assigned topic is that it should be neither too broad nor too narrow, and plenty of information about it should be readily available. You will not have to worry about changing your topic later in the writing process.
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