focusing research topic
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Focusing your research topic
I’ve got my research topic.I’m ready to start researching.
What’s your topic?
Vegans. I like vegans.
Especially, Natalie Portman
Let the research begin!
63,600,000 results
Dang. Maybe I don’t like vegans.
Don’t blame the vegans.You have too big a topic.
You have to narrow it down.
How do I do that?
Let’s start by asking questions
1st Question
What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to one another?
Topic
What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to one another?
Sink
Faucet
Drain
Water
Porcelain
What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to one another?
Vegan
Food
Politics
People
Health
Are there different kinds of vegans? How much variety is in the vegan diet?
What clothing restrictions do vegans have?Are animal products used in other things besides
food and clothing?How political is the vegan movement?
Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health?
Do vegans own pets?Are vegans happier? healthier?
Topic: Vegans
What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to one another?
Topic
Now, your turn...
Write 10 questions on the sub parts of your topic
2nd Question
How is your topic part of a larger system?
Topic
How is your topic part of a larger system?
Sink
Bathroom
KitchenHomes
Plumbing
How is your topic part of a larger system?
Vegan
Health
Animal RightsFood ProductionVegetarianism
What contributes to people living longer: better health or better medicine?
Are humans meant to be carnivores?Do animals have personalities?
Do animals have a soul?What influences our food choices?
Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population?
Is it better to be vegetarian or vegan?Are cows treated better in India than in the U.S.?
Topic: Vegans
Now, your turn...
Write 10 questions on the larger systems your topic is a part of.
How is your topic part of a larger system?
Topic
3rd Question
CategoriesHow can your topic be grouped into kinds?
Topic: Vegans
Vegans by choiceVegans by necessityChild-Teen vegans
Vegan athletesIndian vegans
Celebrity vegansPolitical vegansVegan ranchers
Vegan chefs
How does your topic compare to and contrast with others like it?
Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles?
How do Indian vegans compare to vegans in the U.S.?
How are the reasons people choose veganism similar or different?
Are all animal rights activists vegan?Do teen vegans do better in school?
Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children?
How do vegan athletes compare with non-vegan athletes?
Are you considered vegan if your food allergies force you to eat a vegan diet?
Topic: Vegans
Now, your turn...
Write 10 questions comparing and contrasting these different types
How can your topic be grouped into kinds?
TopicType 1:____________Type 2:____________Type 3:____________Type 4:____________Type 5:____________Type 6:____________
4th Question
How and why has your topic changed through time, as something with its own history?
Topic nowTopic beforeTopic before
1988 19941983 19981990
How has the number of vegans changed over time?
Is veganism a trend that will disappear soon?Have vegans become more or less political over
time?Have the reasons people choose to become
vegan changed?What historical figures made people aware of
veganism?Were vegans always linked to the animal rights
movement?
Topic: Vegans
Now, your turn...
Write 10 questions on how your topic has changed over time
How and why has your topic changed through time, as something with its own history?
Topic nowTopic beforeTopic before
5th Question
How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history?
1920 1940 1960 1980 2008
Feminism orPop Music or
Fashion
How has our food supply changed over time?Has the change in food production affected our
diet choices?Has the rise of factory farming turned more
people into vegans?Have we become kinder or crueler to animals
over time?How have restaurants or cafeterias changed as a
result of the vegan movement?
Topic: Vegans
Now, your turn...
Write 10 questions on the larger history your topic is connected to
How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history?
1920 1940 1960 1980 2008Topic
6th Question
How good or bad is your topic? Is it useful?
GoodBad
How good or bad is your topic? Is it useful?
GoodBad
Is a vegan diet safe for kids?Are vegans more ethical than carnivores?
Do vegans deny their own animal instincts?If animals kill and eat each other, why shouldn’t
we?Is there a way to eat an animal and feel good
about it?Are vegans forcing their lifestyle on others?
Is it possible to live without consuming animal products?
Don’t we need to control the animal population?
Topic: Vegans
Now, your turn...
Write 10 questions evaluating the pros and cons of your topic
Evaluate your topic: What do you like and not like about it?
Like about topicGoodBad
Don’t like about topic
6th Question
Ask What if? and other speculative questions
What if McDonalds only sold vegan food?What if every school had a working farm?
If everyone had to slaughter their own animals, would more people be vegan?
Would cows overpopulate the earth if everyone were vegan?
Would animals eat us if we didn’t eat them?What if fruits and vegetables were subsidized by
the government?
Topic: Vegans
Now, your turn...
Write 10 What if? and other speculative questions about your topic
I’m exhausted.
Good! Now let’s organizeyour questions into categories
Which questions can you answer in a reference work? (Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Dictionary)
Mark these with an XThese are the questions that are easiest to answerand should not be the focus of your research paper
Which questions may lead to interesting debates?
Mark these with a
These are the questions that are harder to answer and will lead to a better research paper
Which questions are most interesting to you?
Mark these with a
These are the questions that will motivate you to find the answers and make it easier to write the paper
Done. Can I research now?
Yes. Start with a more specific question
and you’ll get more targeted results.
And use the library database instead of Google.
Start here
Type question or key words into search
box
Fewer, more targetedresults!
From reputable sources!
Abstract summarizesarticle
Allows you to save document for easy
retrieval
Once you find a good article, use this find
more like it
Works just as well with
the other databases
Type question or keywords into search
box
Fewer, more targeted results!
From reputable sources!
Other, more targeted ways to search!
See how easy?
Success!
Advantages of brainstorming research questions
More specific topics make research faster and easier
More specific topics make research more interestingMore specific topics makes your work more original
Advantages of using the library database instead of Google
Faster and easier to find reputable information
Sources are more relevant to your topicSources are higher quality and peer reviewed
Your assignment:
1. 50 questions on your research topic
3. One article from the database that answers question
2. Categorize types of questions with X
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