Picking and Developing a Topic

Narrowing or Broadening Your Topic

You may have an idea for a topic that is a bit too broad. Here’s an example.

“College is too expensive.”

If you search for sources about the cost of college, you will find an overwhelming amount of information. This is because college costs are a very popular subject and there are lots of different aspects of this topic. Try searching for a specific issue related to the cost of college, like student loan interest rates or the availability of scholarships.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/17123250059

Many students will choose a very specific research topic. Here’s an example of a topic that is probably too narrowly defined.

“UNCG’s dining hall has the best food in America.”

Not many articles have been written about UNCG’s dining services specifically. You may want to try broadening your focus by writing about college dining services in general, or typical nutrition issues associated with college students.

Source: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=291735&picture=milk-and-honey-breakfast

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