1. How to Narrow a Research Topic

2. How to Narrow a Research Topic
Define the word broad?
What do you think happens if you are researching and your topic is too broad?

3. How to Narrow a Research Topic
When your research topic is too broad, ask yourself these questions:
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?

4. How to Narrow a Research Topic
Let’s see how this works with an example: eating disorders
This topic is too broad (general) to write about in a short paper. We need to narrow it down. (more specific).

5. How to Narrow a Research Topic
Who?
TOPIC: EATING DISORDERS
Populations
Age
NEW TOPIC:
Eating disorders in elderly females
Gender
Race or Ethnicity

6. How to Narrow a Research Topic
What?
TOPIC: EATING DISORDERS
Types
Anorexia
NEW TOPIC:
Anorexia in elderly females
Bulimia
Compulsive eating

7. How to Narrow a Research Topic
When?
TOPIC: EATING DISORDERS
Timeframes
Current or historical view
NEW TOPIC:
Bulimia in middle-aged females
Period of life

8. How to Narrow a Research Topic
Where?
TOPIC: EATING DISORDERS
Places
States
NEW TOPIC:
Anorexia in Australian women
Regions
Countries

9. How to Narrow a Research Topic
Why?
TOPIC: EATING DISORDERS
Evaluate
Causes
NEW TOPIC:
Successful methods for treatment of compulsive eating
Treatments
Outcomes

10. How to Narrow a Research Topic
The Desert
The desert is a lot to write about. What part of the desert am I interested in? And what would my audience find interesting? I have always found those large cacti very interesting. Perhaps I could write about Saguaros in the desert- large cacti.

11. How to Narrow a Research Topic
Your turn! Narrow these topics-- remember to think about who, what, when ,where and why when narrowing your topic:
Space
Insects
Presidents
The Ocean

12. Your turn! Narrow these topics even more:
How to Narrow a Research Topic
Your turn! Narrow these topics even more:
Space—astronauts—
Insects—butterflies—
Presidents-Lincoln-
Ocean- shipwrecks--

13. Let’s practice on our own
How to Narrow a Research Topic
Let’s practice on our own
Rank the following topics from general to the narrow- 1 being general and 4 being narrow.
__ huskies in Alaska
__ dogs
__ huskies
__ baby huskies training to be sled dogs in Alaska
___baby huskies in Alaska

14. Let’s practice on our own
How to Narrow a Research Topic
Let’s practice on our own
Rank the following topics from general to the narrow- 1 being general and 4 being narrow.
__ tests in middle school
__ education
__ middle school
__ female TCAP scores
___female test scores