Have a topic, but need to develop it? Strategies and Suggestions

When you have a topic in mind, or have several topics from which to choose, the task is different than if you need to choose a topic from scratch.

If you are familiar with the subject area, then the topic to choose will become evident as you scan the assignment sheet, depending on your own knowledge, the time allocated for the project, and your own interests. If you don't know much about the topic, there are several ways to choose a specific topic or narrow your focus:

1. Read the assignment sheet again-- many people miss helpful information the first time. Remember all that was said in class about the assignment, or read notes that you may have taken.
2. Look in your textbook to see if there is discussion related to the topic; that may help you decide.
3. Ask your professor if he or she can recommend a topic, or if there is something that he or she would particularly like to see developed.
4. Read an entry for the subject in an encyclopedia or handbook. Background information may help you make a choice.
5. Use your own interests to develop a facet of the topic or to take the discussion in a particular direction (may need to be approved by your professor).

Use G-E-N-I-U-S:

• Genre --for literary topics; perhaps, if you are studying Alice Walker, you may focus on her poetry rather than her prose.
• Environment-- The subject as revealed in a point in history, or place, or scope (scale of topic)? For example, the study of genetics since the invention of the electron microscope vs. the study of genetics since Mendel.
• Novelty-- what's new about an old topic? What has changed about the way the topic has been viewed over time? A speaker's interpretation of a religious text often reflects his or her times: compare and contrast a sermon of Martin Luthur's to a sermon by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Innovation--can the subject be viewed from a different perspective? For example, can the viewpoint of the indigenous peoples toward Columbus' arrival in the New World be determined? Is there any contemporary material not written by Spaniards?
• Utility-- can the subject contribute something practical and useful? Is there a way to make solar energy economically feasible for the average American family? (what is an "average American family"?) How about solar energy for the average family in India? What about during the monsoon season?
• Substance-- is there a way to make a real contribution to your own understanding in this assignment? Where are the holes in your knowledge? Part of the reason for research papers is to fill those in.

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