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Research Process Tutorial

Narrowing Your Topic

Sometimes a topic that seems like the right size for your paper can seem way too big after you’ve learned a little more about it.  When this happens, you need to narrow the focus of your paper.  You can do this by considering different ways to restrict your paper topic.

Some of the ways you can limit your paper topic are by:

  • Who – population or group (e.g., college students; women; Asian Americans)
  • What – discipline or focus (e.g., sociological or historical perspective)
  • Where – geographic location (e.g., United States; universities; small towns)
  • When – time period or era (19th century; Renaissance; Vietnam War)
  • Why – why is the topic important? (to the class, to the field, or to you)

For example, a paper about alcohol use would be very broad.  But a paper about reasons for alcohol abuse by female college students in the United States during the 1990s might be just right.

 

(adapted from University of Michigan - Finding and Exploring Your Topic, retrieved June 12, 2023).