How to Select and

Limit a Research Topic

 1. Brainstorm for Ideas
Choose a topic that interests you. Use the following
questions to help generate topic ideas.
• Do you have a strong opinion on a current social or
political controversy?
• Did you read or see a news story recently that has
piqued your interest or made you angry or anxious?
• Do you have a personal issue, problem or interest that
you would like to know more about? 2
2. Identify the Sources of General Background Information

• What sources of information can you use to gather

data?
• Who can help you in providing information about the
topic?
• Can you use the library, magazines, journals, periodicals
or the internet to collect information?
• Do you know any organization that can help you in
gathering information? 3
3. Focus on your Topic
• Keep it manageable
Some common ways to limit a topic
are:
by geographical area
by culture
by time frame
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4. Make a List of Useful Keywords

• What are the keywords that you can use to

best describe your topic?
 Find broader and narrower terms,
synonyms, key concepts for key words to
widen your search capabilities

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 5. Be flexible
• What are the considerations or adjustments that you
would do if ever there is a need to modify your research
topic?

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6. Define your topic as a Focused Research Question

• What is the primary question that your

research topic wants to answer?
For example:
Ideas = Frank Lloyd Wright or modern architecture
Research Question = How has Frank Lloyd Wright
influenced modern architecture?
Focused Research Question = What design principles
used by Frank Lloyd Wright are common in contemporary
homes? 7
 7. Formulate a Thesis Statement

Write your topic as a thesis statement. This may be

the answer to your research question and/or a way to
clearly state the purpose of your research. Your thesis
statement will usually be one or two sentences that
states precisely what is to be answered, proven, or what
you will inform your audience about your topic.
The development of a thesis assumes there is
sufficient evidence to support the thesis statement.
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Thesis Statement:
Frank Lloyd Wright’s design principles,
including his use of ornamental detail and his
sense of space and texture opened a new era
of American architecture. His work has
influenced contemporary residential design.
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 Sample Research Topics

- Does listening to music while taking tests improve

scores?
- What is the impact of publishing results of work to the
entire class? Does it help students to improve?
- Does the layout of a classroom make teaching more
effective?
- To what extent do students learn better if IT is
incorporated into lessons as opposed to traditional
teaching? 10
 Sample Research Topics

- Which teaching approaches appeal more to different

learning styles?
- Does homework actually improve performance?
- How can feedback on work best improve student
performance?

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