Library DIY

Consider the scope of the topic. How broad or narrow is it?

• If your topic is too broad it may be difficult to find focused and relevant information. The topic also should be focused enough that it is meaningful to your audience.

• It may be hard to find information on a very narrow topic. If your topic is highly focused, be more flexible in your search strategy. For example, if you're interested in organic food labeling in a specific city, widen your information search to organic food labeling within the United States. Also think about what topic will be meaningful to your audience. What relevance will the topic have to them?

The graphic below helps to illustrate finding the balance between too broad of a topic and too narrow of a topic. For example Food Safety is too broad of a topic. You could write multiple books about it! Impact of government regulation in the United States on food safety is more specific and more manageable for a research project.

On the other end of the spectrum you may have too narrow of a topic choice such as History of organic labeling of pork products in the city of Portland, OR. Instead try Labeling of organic food in the United States for a better topic that will retrieve more results.

Go to the next tab to learn strategies to refine your focus.

Once you have a broad topic in mind, these strategies will help you refine your research focus: 

• Background research can help you learn more about your topic, and may also help you refine your focus. By knowing more about your topic's background, you can develop a more effective topic and a stronger research paper. See the Background Research tab for suggestions on where to start your research.
• Brainstorm concepts. Think of words or concepts that relate to that topic. (For example, if your topic is "polar bears," associated words might include: ice, cubs, pollution, hunting, diet, and environmental icon.) 
• Develop a research question. Once you have a broad research topic and have done some background research, develop a research question. What about this topic interests you and is likely to also engage your readers? You can learn more about this process here: From Topic to Research Question.
• What's your general approach to the topic? Your research could, for example, use a historical angle (focusing on a particular time period); a geographical angle (focusing on a particular part of the world); or a sociological angle (focusing on a particular group of people). The angle you choose will depend largely on the nature of your research question and often on the class or the academic discipline in which you are working.
• Start doing some exploratory, in-depth research. As you look for relevant sources, such as scholarly articles and books, refine your topic based on what you find. Don't guide your research trying to prove pre-conceived ideas about your topic. Let your research guide your topic. While examining sources, consider how others discuss the topic. How might the sources inform or challenge your approach to your research question?
• Research is a dynamic process. Be prepared to modify or refine your topic. This is why they call it research: because you search, and then often have to RE-search. This is usually the sign of thoughtful and well-done research. 

You can use background research to develop a more effective topic as well as brainstorm for good search terms or keywords. Here are a few useful databases for exploring potential topics involving current issues, events, or controversies:

Your professors and classmates can help with topic generation, or with choosing between multiple topic options.

Librarians can't help with choosing a topic, but they can help you with the background research that is necessary to determine whether a topic will be successful or not. Before you give up on a topic you really want to research and write about, reach out to the library!