Refining your topic

As you read further on your topic and find out more about it, you will be continuously refining and focussing your topic.

Refining your topic

In her "Pocket Style Manual", Diana Hacker identifies 3 ways to refine your topic: [I'll be quoting from her examples, adding some of my own...]

Choosing a narrow question

Almost everyone will need to narrow their initial topic proposals to fit the length of the research paper, which is no more than 15 pages (not counting your "List of Works Cited").

Too broad
  • What are the hazards of fad diets?
  • Is the United States seriously addressing the problem of prisoner abuse?
  • Solar Power

    Narrower

    • What are the hazards of low-carbohydrate diets?
    • Is the U.S. military doing an adequate job of protecting the prisoners in Guantanamo, Cuba, from abuse?
  • What kinds of federal and state financial incentives for solar power are there for homeowners?
  • Germany: Examining incentives for homeowners to invest in solar power and consequences.

    Choosing a challenging question

    Choose a topic that you would like to find out more about, and that may not have a cut and dried answer.

    Avoid bland questions that fail to provoke thought or engage readers in a debate.

    Too bland

    • What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
    • How does DNA testing work?

    Challenging

    • What treatments for OCD show the most promise?
    • How reliable is DNA testing?

    Choosing a grounded question

    The central argument of a research paper should be grounded in facts. It should not be based entirely on beliefs.

    Too speculative

    • Is it wrong to pirate software via the Internet?
  • Will nuclear fusion provide unlimited energy someday?

    Grounded

    • What effect has software piracy had on the price and availability of software?
  • Why have the French embraced nuclear power, and what can we learn from their experience?