subject: Choosing and Limiting a Topic [print this page] Choosing and Limiting a Topic Choosing and Limiting a Topic
Much of writing tasked to you in your English course is more often than not to be on subjects of your own choosing. To start off your assignment, you are to decide on what you are going to write about. Searching on the right topic is one of the fundamental yet decisive steps in the writing process.
To begin, consider a topic that interests you, but make sure that the topic to be selected should be intricate enough and complex enough to be researched from a variety of sources, at the same time, limited to be comprised in ten pages or so.
Some teachers assign a subject to make the topic manageable. Even if this will be the case, you still have to decide which specific idea to explore or approach.
Observe the following guidelines (based on Gibaldi 4, Warriner 10, Guth 16 and Winkler & McCuen 7) if you were given the freedom to choose your topic:
a. Pick a topic that increases your curiosity, a topic that you would want to learn more about, that will maintain your attention throughout the research.
b. The resources for your topic are readily available.
c. The result of your research has an implication and is of significance. Your time and energy is very valuable that this research will consume most of it, thus, the topic you choose must be able to increase your knowledge, and at the same time, provide for the requirement of the research. The topic also should have a personal meaning to you and offer gratification for you as a writer, this will enable you to naturally give out your thoughts and convey the message you would like to impart effectively.
d. Choose a topic which you can present quantitatively and are based on facts. Make it objective. Arguments and persuasion are not to be presented on a research paper.
e. Technical subjects should be avoided. Such subject will require strict interpretation which may not be understood by the general reader. If you still choose to present a specialized subject, make sure to still provide or present to your reader a broad and typical way of writing it.
f. Prevent topics that are of limited sources. Your paper must present vast opinions and sources from different authorities. Remember that the research paper aims to expose you, the writer, to different views regarding the subject. If only one source is available, the point of the research paper is defeated.
g. Move-away from topics which are overused. This does not imply that overused topics are insignificant, this may be otherwise and may be as important to the public. Overused topics may have the tendency to for you repeat what has already been researched and written. If you cannot avoid such, try making your topic in a manner that you draw near a different side of it.
h. Avoid highly controversial subjects. These subjects are those that promote and call for accepting or having to refute the idea. Having to agree or disagree with the subject will require you to provide reasons, without careful consideration of the evidences presented for both sides, usually results to an argument.
i. Consider the time given and the length of your research paper
j. Discuss with your teacher if you need any help of understanding her instructions regarding your topic.
After deciding on what topic you are going to write about, you are now ready to limit it to allow you to efficiently compose it in the boundaries of what is expected of you. Limiting a topic entails you to attempt a trial-and-error process that is open for change until you have searched for options. Experiment with your topic. Work at one thought and observe where it leads you. Confirm if it leads you to an argument or not. Keep into mind that limiting your topic should not narrow your discussion. Be guided that your topic is not too limited that reference materials will not be hard to find.
