How to Choose a Topic

Focusing a Broad Topic Develop a tentative focus ▫Make a list of things you already know about the topic ▫From the list of questions, choose those you find most interesting

Background Get some background information on your topic ▫If you know very little, you may experience difficulty narrowing it Do some preliminary background reading of an article in a subject encyclopedia Look for magazine articles to get a general idea of the key issues or controversies involved in your topic Browse CQ Researcher

Narrow Your Topic Choose a particular perspective on an issue Don’t forget that scholars from different subject fields will approach your topic from different angles ▫They will bring in different points of view to bear on the subject

Narrow Your Topic EVEN MORE! Limit it to a specific time period or geographic area ▫This will help better focus your search for information  Look for limit options in the databases you search

Finding Research Ideas These following resources are also great to find ideas for your research topic: ▫Textbook (scan it for topic ideas) ▫Think of what you have read or seen recently that interested you ▫Draw on your other classes for inspiration ▫Pick a topic that is practical ▫Browse an encyclopedia for ideas ▫Read the news

Topic Ideas Business: ▫Cybersecurity ▫E-business glass ceiling ▫Online retail ▫Outsourcing ▫Sweatshops ▫White collar crime ▫Ethics

Crime and Law ▫Acquaintance rape ▫Animal rights ▫Assisted suicide ▫Campus violence ▫Capital punishment ▫Civil Rights ▫Drinking age, legal ▫Gun control ▫Hate Crimes ▫Insanity defense ▫Mandatory minimum sentencing ▫Patriot Act ▫Police brutality ▫Prisons and prisoners ▫Serial killers ▫Sex crimes ▫Sexual harassment ▫Three strikes law

Drugs and Drug Abuse Alcohol Cocaine Doping in sports Drug testing Drunk driving Heroin Marijuana Nicotine

Education Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Charter schools College admission policies College athletes College tuition planning Distance education Diploma mills Education and funding Grade inflation Greek letter societies Hazing

Environmental Acid rain Alternative fuel/hybrid vehicles Conservation Deforestation Endangered species Energy Global warming Greenhouse effect Landfills Marine Pollution Nuclear energy Oil spills Pesticides Pollution Population control Radioactive waste disposal Recycling Smog Soil Pollution Wildlife conservation

Health Alternative medicine Dietary supplements Dyslexia Fad diets In Vitro fertilization Medicaid/Medicare reform Organic foods Sleep Stem cell research Vegetarianism

Media and Communications Body image Censorship Children’s programming and advertising Copyright law Freedom of speech Materialism Media bias Media conglomerates/ownership Minorities in mass media Political correctness Portrayal of women Reality television Stereotypes Talk radio Television violence

Political Issues Affirmative action Budget deficit Electoral college Election reform Emigration Genocide Immigration Impeachment Partisan politics Prescription drugs Social security reform Third parties Taxes International relations Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom

Psychology Child abuse Criminal psychology Depression Dreams Intelligence tests Learning disabilities Memory Physical attraction Schizophrenia