II.B. FINDING AND NARROWING A TOPIC

     Unless your topic is assigned by the teacher, you begin by choosing a general topic area that sounds interesting to you.  Then continue by reading something general about the subject.  An encyclopedia is a good place to start to find one aspect of the subject that catches your attention.  Check your library to see if enough sources are available before beginning your research.  It is necessary to narrow your topic area to an idea that can be supported in a relatively short paper.  For instance, if the Puritans in America is your general topic area, your specific topic could be the interaction of the Puritans with the wilderness, the role of women in Puritan America, or a comparison between Puritans and Southern colonists.  Many different papers could be written within that same general topic area.  Preliminary reading combined with original thought will help you identify a narrowed and interesting topic.
     The key to narrowing your topic is asking questions.  What are my interests?  What is my purpose in writing this paper?  For whom am I writing this paper?  How might my experience help me approach this topic?  What do I want to learn about this topic that I do not already know?  From these questions you will have a list of possible topics.  You will need to check with your teacher to make sure the general topic is acceptable.
     There are many sources you can use to help narrow your topic, formulate your question, and develop a working thesis:

  1.  Examine a book's table of contents
  2.  Examine a book's index
  3.  Scan an encyclopedia article
  4.  Use subject cards in the card catalog
  5.  Search the headings in periodical indexes
  6.  Scan books concerning your topic
  7.  Read articles in magazines concerning your topic

     Following are several examples of how students narrowed a broad topic to find a controlling question.
 

Broad Topic:

Student 1: Broad Topic: Puritans in America
    Narrowed topic:     Role of women in Puritan America
    Controlling Question:   What was the role of women in Puritan America?

Student 2: Broad Topic:     Greek Mythology
    Narrowed Topic:     Odysseus
    Controlling Question:      Was Odysseus a typical mythological hero?

Student 3: Broad Topic: Civil War / Slavery
    Narrowed Topic:     Underground Railroad
    Controlling Question:     Do we have any local examples of the Underground Railroad in Bucks County?
 
Student 4: Broad Topic:     William Faulkner
    Narrowed Topic:     Faulkner's Short Stories
    Controlling Question:     How do Faulkner's short stories illustrate racial strife?