Narrowing Your Research Topic

With a partner, select a couple of the topics you had no interest in to start.

For each topic, together write an argumentative statement or question related to the topic that would allow you to divide the topic into parts.

Here’s and example:

Who were the 3 greatest players in Cleveland Browns history?

Who are the 3 greatest players in Steelers history?

There are 3 major flaws to the theory of creationism.

There are 3 major reasons that evolution is an inaccurate theory.

What are 3 ways nanotechnology will impact our world in the next 50 years.

Next pick 2 or 3 topics you do know about and write questions or statements (we call these argumentative claims) which break these into parts as well. Again, aim for ways to divide the topic into 3 or 4 parts.

The 3 greatest quarterbacks of all time are Brett Favre, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw.

There are 5 major steps a person can take to prevent identity theft.

If you are identity is stolen, there are 3 problems you’ll face in trying to reclaim your identity.

There are 3 major considerations you need to make when buying your first house.

What are the 3 most important factors a person should consider when buying their first car?

What are the 3 best places to live in the country if you are a new college graduate?

There are 2 important keys to all of this topic narrowing:

Give yourself something to say about the topic no matter how much you do or don’t know—in other words, come up with some sort of argument you can make about the topic

Divide and conquer—If you break up any paper/topic, it is easier to write about—so find 3 or 4 subtopics to split your topic into: this will help you know what to research and write about and also how to structure your paper.

Boxers---energy level, appearance, personality, and whether they are a good dog to breed or not

What do you need to know about if you want to buy a boxer?

3 reasons boxers are good for breeding

Who is the greatest player of all time for the Oakland Raiders?

Economics—What is the purpose of economics?

Grass and turf care—What is the science behind growing grass?

How do you create a perfect lawn?

PennState offers a major in lawn development.

A person who work as a lawn care specialist for golf courses in Florida makes $170,000 per year.

Why are diamonds so expensive?

If you are buying a diamond ring for sweetheart, how do you pick the best one?