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Selecting a Topic

  • Introduction
  • Brainstorm
  • Presearch
  • Narrow Your Topic
  • Research Question
  • Thesis Statement

屏幕阅读器用户注意:上面选项卡的集合, while presented as a list, is clickable. Navigate to the list item you want, and press space to activate that tab.

Selecting a workable topic can be the most difficult step in the research process. 在选择主题时，请记住以下几点:

  • 主题必须符合作业的要求.
  • 选择一个你感兴趣的话题. 你对你的话题越感兴趣, 你就越有动力去研究和写它.
  • 选择一个你可以理解的主题.
  • The topic must be specific enough to let you master a reasonable amount of information on it in the time you have. A topic that is too broad will give you too many sources and it will be hard to focus your research.
  • Make sure sufficient, relevant information is available from appropriate sources. If your topic is too narrow or obscure, you many not find enough sources. This is especially true of local topics which may only be covered in local newspapers and not in other sources.

选择主题时请遵循以下步骤:

  1. 从一个你感兴趣的话题或大意开始.
  2. 头脑风暴来想出更多的主意.
  3. 预先查找有关该主题的背景信息.
  4. 将你的总体想法缩小到一个集中的、可管理的研究想法.
  5. State your topic as a research question you can answer with the resources available to you.
  6. Your assignment may also require you to formulate a thesis statement.

你的话题会随着你对它的了解而发展. You may need to refocus or refine it based on the information you find.

选择你的主题就是研究! (北卡州立大学图书馆)

使用以下问题来产生主题想法:

  • Do you have a strong opinion on a current social or political controversy?
  • Did you read or see a news story recently that caught your interest?
  • Is there an issue or a problem that has affected you, your family, or your community?
  • 有没有什么问题是你一直想了解更多的?

如果你想不出任何主题，试着浏览图书馆的 Pro/Con Issues 数据库或者看看网站上列出的 Hot Topics page.

Brainstorming

一旦你有了一个大致的主题, brainstorming can help you identify more ideas or potential research questions.

  • 从你的主题开始，列出所有的想法, questions, 以及与之相关的问题.
  • 不要担心拼写或语法. 保持你的创造力.
  • Write down everything that comes to mind, including ideas that seem silly or outlandish.
  • Then go back and look for patterns, categories, or connections between the ideas.
  • If you get stuck, set your list aside and let your ideas percolate for a while. 当新的想法突然出现在你的脑海里时，继续添加.
  • If an idea appeals to you, make it the center idea on a new piece of paper and brainstorm more details.

视频:头脑风暴的力量 (Clark College Libraries)

Brainstorming techniques

Freewriting写下所有想到的东西. 把时间限制在5到20分钟之间.

  • 不停地写，让你的手动起来.
  • 不要担心拼写或语法.
  • 写得越快越好，这样才能跟上你的思路.
  • If you get stuck, copy the same word or phrase over and over again until you come up with a new thought.

Clustering or mapping: this technique allows you to visualize your ideas using circles, lines, or arrows.

  • Write your topic in the middle of a blank piece of paper and draw a box or circle around it.
  • 头脑风暴与你的主题相关的随机想法. Write them down in clusters around the topic and draw lines or arrows connecting them to the topic.
  • Use different shapes, colors, or lines to represent subtopics or different categories.

视频:绘制你的研究思路 (UCLA Libraries)

Search a library database or the internet to get a quick overview of your topic. 这会帮助你拓宽/缩小范围. You can also determine whether enough information is available to meet your needs.

Focus on sources that provide good background information, such as encyclopedias. Wikipedia can be a great starting point as long as you keep in mind it should not be considered an authoritative source (see Evaluating Sources). 以下图书馆数据库可能特别有用:

  • Britannica Academic - a general encyclopedia.
  • Discovery - includes Research Starters, or summary articles on popular topics. Watch this video to learn more.
  • eBook Collection 书籍有时会提供一个主题的大纲. 一定要略读一下这本书的目录.
  • Gale eBooks -主题百科全书的集合.
  • Pro/Con Issues - databases with good coverage of current social and political issues.

一旦你确定了一个你喜欢的主题, 你得把范围缩小到一个重点, manageable research topic. If your topic is too broad, it will pull you in lots of different directions and you'll waste a lot of time looking for information you won't use. 试着从你的主题中挑出一个方面来关注. 当你选择最后的主题, keep in mind you must be able to argue a point of view and support your claims with evidence from the resources available to you.

检查你在预习过程中找到的资料. They may help you identify a subtopic you would like to explore in your paper. 例如，说你对时装设计感兴趣. A search on that topic in the library's eBook collection retrieves many relevant titles. By examining the table of contents for each, you can compile a lengthy list of subtopics:

  • The fashion industry
  • fashion retailing
  • fashion ethics
  • fast fashion
  • sustainable fashion
  • history of fashion
  • fashion designers
  • fashion models
  • 特定类型的服装和时尚配饰

Ask Questions

If you still can't think of any subtopics, ask yourself questions about your topic. The answers to those questions can reveal subtopics that might help you narrow your focus.

Who? 确定受主题影响的个人或组织. 谁是利益相关者、受影响人群和决策者? 你能把你的注意力缩小到一个特定的群体或人口统计吗, such as age, gender, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status?

What? identifies the specific aspect or element of the topic that directly impacts the who. 它的性质、目的和范围是什么? 它的原因和影响是什么? 围绕它的问题和争论是什么? 你能专注于一个具体的类型或例子吗?

When? identifies the time frame. 这个话题是当前的还是历史的? 是否有特定的时间限制? Did it develop over time? 你想关注某个特定的时间点吗?

Where? 标识地理位置. 这个话题在哪里可能是重要的? 你能把你的覆盖范围缩小到一个特定的地区、州或城市吗?

Why? 确定主题的重要性. Why should we care about it? Why does it happen? 原因、原因、动机或理由是什么?

How? 确定问题是如何出现的，或者解决方案是如何工作的. How does it happen? 它的环境、方法和过程是什么? 它是如何以及为什么产生的? 如何改进、改革或解决这个问题? 人们是如何支持/反对它的?

EXAMPLE

Topic: vaccines
Who? 学童(特定人群)
What? 强制性COVID-19疫苗(具体示例)
When? 当前(具体时间范围)
Where? Nebraska (specific location)
Why? 预防COVID-19爆发(具体原因)
How? other mandatory vaccines successfully prevent outbreaks (specific solution)
Narrowed topic内布拉斯加州学童强制接种COVID-19疫苗

If your topic is too narrow, you won't find enough (or any) information about it. 要扩大它，你可以通过扩大你的网来扭转这个过程.

Topic内布拉斯加州学童强制接种COVID-19疫苗
Who? Americans (wider population)
Where? 美国(更大范围)
Broadened topic美国人必须接种COVID-19疫苗

视频:如何用5W1H提问 (新加坡大学图书馆)

视频:缩小研究主题的四个步骤

For another approach, watch this video from the University of Guelph Library.

Once you've narrowed your topic to something workable, restate it as a focused research question. Your research question is the question that you answer within your paper. 把它想象成你的研究主题的问题形式. It pinpoints exactly what you want to find out and gives your work a clear focus and direction.

一个成功的研究问题的要素:

  • 专注于一个问题或事件
  • Requires analysis and can't be answered with a simple yes or no answer
  • 可以使用您可用的资源进行研究
  • Feasible to answer within the timeframe and word limit of your paper
  • 具体到足以回答彻底
  • 具有可识别的后果和影响
  • 导致可能的结果和/或解决方案

EXAMPLE

Topic:社交媒体和学习成绩
Narrowed topic: the effect of smartphones on the attention span of high school students
Research question: what effect does daily use of smartphones have on the attention span of high school students?

视频:如何为研究论文写一个强有力的研究问题 (Smart Student)

Depending on your assignment, you may need to include a thesis statement in your paper's introduction. 论文陈述是你研究问题的答案. 它应该陈述你的主题，你的立场和证据. You'll work to prove your thesis statement in your paper and provide evidence and sources to back it up.

一个成功的论文陈述的要素:

  • 简洁(一两句话)
  • 清楚地回答了你的研究问题
  • Clearly states your position
  • 表明你将如何支持自己的立场

EXAMPLE

Research question: What effect does daily use of smartphones have on the attention span of high school students?
Thesis statement因为这会削弱他们集中注意力的能力, the daily use of smartphones has a detrimental effect on the attention span of high school students.

这篇论文陈述包含以下要素:
Topic: The effect of smartphones on the attention of high school students.
Position它有不利的影响.
Evidence这会削弱他们集中注意力的能力.

视频:如何写一个强有力的论文陈述 (Scribbr)