Narrowing Your Topic

Think about your message… In your paper… WHAT might you SAY about your topic? or What QUESTIONS might you ANSWER about your topic?

And how are you going to do it… in just (how many ) pages?

Narrowing Strategy 1: Aspect Focus on a particular ASPECT of the topic: Not: Food But: Religious aspects of food FOOD EconomicHistoricalReligiousPhysiologicalSocial

Narrowing Strategy 2: Time Focus on your topic during a particular TIME PERIOD Food production between 1990 and 2000

Narrowing Strategy 3: Type Focus on a specific TYPE or CLASS of people or things as they relate to your topic: Lenten Diet Whole Foods Devotional Foods Vegetarians Fruitarians

Narrowing Strategy 4: Place Focus on a particular PLACE Popular foods in Hawaii

FoodGender Narrowing Strategy 5: Add Two Topics Focus on the relationship between TWO DIFFERENT TOPICS Food and Gender

Now, a really big tip: COMBINE different kinds of focuses: Food preparation as related to gender roles in WASP homes in the United States from 1950 to Food Gender Roles United States Cooking WASP

A Review of Narrowing Strategies: Narrow your topic by focusing on: Aspect Time Type Place Its relationship with a second topic A combination of two or more of the above