Choosing a Research Topic

What makes a good topic and how do you pick one?

What Makes a Good Topic?

Picking your topic can be overwhelming! Consider it just part of the research process. Just because you pick a topic doesn't mean it won't change or evolve as you research and write.

A good topic:

Interests or impacts you
Is familiar to you through coursework or personally - you have some existing knowledge
Is broad enough to have multiple sources of information
Is specific enough to be manageable in the page requirements of your paper
Might be instructor approved

"Just Right" Topic Slideshow

Are you feeling lost on your paper or assignment topic? Do you need help choosing a "Just Right" topic? This guide is designed to help you pick a topic and narrow it down to fit the assignment parameters.

Check out this slideshow:

Choosing a "Just Right" Topic Slideshow
This slideshow goes over much of the material in this guide, including extra examples on how to narrow down a topic.