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Where can you find suitable ideas that interest you?
Similar techniques can be used when choosing from a list of potential topics. Again, look for something that interests you. You will also want to conduct some preliminary background research to identify possible sources.
In all cases, it is a good idea to discuss both your topic and your approach with your instructor to see if it is feasible.
In some cases, your topic and questions may be too broad to be handled successfully within the length limits of a written assignment. You will need a strategy for narrowing the focus to something more manageable. On the other hand, some topics and questions may prove too narrow and focused for an assignment, and you need to consider ways to broaden the topic.
When: Time period
Focusing on a specific time period is a useful strategy for narrowing some topics. Below are examples of issues that you might narrow by time period to make them more manageable.
For example:
1. Development of women’s rights in Canada
Consider narrowing by time:
2. Worker unionization in the United States
Consider narrowing by time:
For a topic with time constraints that are too narrow, you might consider broadening the time period.
What: Aspects or facets of a particular topic
Most issues/topics have several aspects or facets. To develop a manageable topic, consider narrowing to one or two specific aspects. Below are examples for particular issues:
Post-secondary Education:
Parliamentary Democracy in Canada:
You may consider including additional aspects or facets of an issue in order to broaden your topi
Where: Geographic region/country
Similar to considering a specific time period, a geographic focus can help narrow a topic. Below are examples of issues that one might narrow by geographic area to make them more manageable.
For example:
1. Indigenous/aboriginal self-determination
Consider narrowing by geographic region:
2. Environmental risks of oil exploration
Consider narrowing by geographic region:
You may broaden a topic by removing specific regional or country parameters or adding additional ones. For example, to broaden the topic “harm reduction drug strategies for youth in Regina”, expand the geographic aspect to include other Canadian urban centres.
Who: Key groups, thinkers, and institutions
For a particular issue, you may want to limit your consideration to a small number of key groups, thinkers or institutions, and their role or influence on a particular issue. For example, the following examples of “who” can help narrow a particular issue into a more workable topic:
Delivery of aid for developing countries:
Concept of archetypes:
To broaden the topic consider the roles played by multiple institutions and individuals. How might these relate to one another or conflict? What comparisons in approach and effect can be made?
Why: Disciplinary perspectives and theoretical lenses
Consider employing a particular disciplinary perspective or theory from which to approach your topic. Keep in mind the themes of the course for which you are writing the assignment and the perspectives or theoretical approaches addressed in class.
Scholars from different disciplines will often approach the same issue quite differently. Consider the issue “income inequality”. Some possible topics that may follow from different disciplinary perspectives include:
It can also be useful to imagine what questions different groups connected to the issue might pose. For example, consider the range of questions that might be asked about funding for post-secondary education:
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