Research Planning--Part 3 Focusing Your Topic Authored by Ken Burhanna and Billie Reinhart The text only versions provide a linear presentation of the Hands-On flash modules.  The Hands-On modules often incorporate images and interactive presentations to help demonstrate and support the text.  These images and interactive features are lost in the text only format.  Users can supplement their reading of the text versions by going onto the World Wide Web and visiting the web sites and doing the searches that the text indicates.  This is most easily done by printing the text version and using it as a guide. After completing this module you will be able to: 1. State Your Topic as a Question. 2. Identify and Analyze Key Terms. 3. Focus Your Topic to a Thesis Statement. Introduction The key to a successful research paper is a focused topic. The process of focusing or refining your topic serves two primary purposes: 1. To identify terms that will help you locate information about your topic. 2. And ultimately to develop a focused thesis statement that meets the requirements of your writing assignment. 1. Stating Your Topic as a Question Often it is helpful to state your topic in the form of a question.   By framing your topic as a question, you are forced to begin focusing or refining your topic.  You will start transitioning from a broad subject to a specific aspect of a subject. Your ultimate goal is to focus your topic to a concise and manageable thesis or research question, which will serve as the focal point of your paper. For example, the broad topic of human cloning could be phrased in question form as: What are the potential health risks of human cloning? For the topic of drug legalization, you might ask: How would the legalization of marijuana affect our court systems? What If I Can't Think of Any Questions? If you find yourself stuck trying to come up with questions, try considering these starter questions: - What main idea related to my topic do I want to write about? - What academic subject area does my topic fit into? - How many different aspects of my topic can I list? What Are Aspects of a Topic? In approaching your topic, you can attempt to gain focus by considering several basic aspects of it. Aspects to consider are: Population Type:  Who does your topic affect?  Who is most concerned about it? Time Period:  What decade or century does your topic affect? Geographic Location:  What country, state, or region is affected by your topic? Consider the topic of music piracy. Which of the questions below best states the topic as a question? A. What laws protect music? B. What impact has music piracy had on the     recording industry? C. What technologies enable music piracy? Answer B: What impact has music piracy had on the recording industry is the most complete and focused question, a question that could be developed into a thesis. But all three are good questions for your topic, and they all may play an important role in your understanding of your topic and what you will write about it.   So early on, as you refine your topic, it's helpful to capture a number of questions.  While you must focus on only one to write a successful paper, answers to your other questions can be important and helpful. 2. Identifying and Analyzing Key Terms Next you need to analyze the question or questions you asked about your topic and identify the key terms and phrases in them. By identifying the key terms that surround your topic, you will be able to focus on the aspects of your topic that require research and develop a list of terms for use in searches. Consider the following research question.  The key terms are underlined. Does genetically engineered food pose health risks? E1.Identify the key terms in the following question by clicking on the terms. 1. Does driving ability decline in senior citizens? E2.Identify the key terms in the following question by clicking on the terms. 2. What impact does television violence have on children? E3.Identify the key terms in the following question by clicking on the terms. 3. Isn't animal research ethical if it results in discoveries that save human lives? To review, the key terms for the three questions are underlined. 1. Does driving ability decline in senior citizens? 2. What impact does television violence have on children? 3. Isn't animal research ethical if it results in     discoveries that can save human lives? Analyzing Your Key Terms Because you'll need to use your key terms to find information about your topic, which, in turn, will help you focus your topic, you will next want to analyze your key terms by: 1. Defining them, if you have any uncertainty about meaning, this     means use a dictionary. 2. List as many synonyms as you can for each term.  Different people     may use different words for the same concept. Try a thesaurus. 3. Consider spelling variations of your terms (e.g. gray, grey). The Case for Synonyms Earlier we looked at the question Isn't animal research ethical if it results in discoveries that save human lives? We identified the following key terms:   - animal research - ethical - discoveries that save human lives The third term (really a phrase) "discoveries that save human lives" is a good example of why synonyms can be important.   At first glance, it would seem difficult to search by entering the phrase:  discoveries that save human lives. But we can find synonyms that can say it more concisely. Here are some synonymous phrases: - benefits - advantages - medical discoveries - medical breakthroughs The term "benefits", though it is more general, would probably be a good term to start with in this case.   As you begin to gather background information and continue to focus your topic, be alert for new and better terms that express your thoughts and ideas.  Write them down and incorporate them into your searches. The Role of Background Information in Focusing Your Topic Background information helps focus and clarify your topic.  Because research is a process you may find background information helpful at several points along the way.   Background information can be especially helpful when focusing your topic.  The background of your topic may indicate critical issues and controversies surrounding your topic and give you ideas to focus on. For more information on background information, check out the lesson Finding Background Information. 3. Focusing Your Topic to a Thesis Statement We said at the beginning of this module that the key to a successful research paper is a focused topic. Your paper's thesis should reflect this focus. A thesis is the central point of your paper.  It is one of the best ways to achieve unity in your writing.   A specific, clearly focused thesis statement will serve as a road map for you as you develop the other elements of your paper. Your thesis statement is a refined statement of what you want to write about. It differs from the research question you started with in that it usually indicates a position you will defend or refute.  Consider the examples below. Question:  How does Internet music piracy impact the recording industry? Thesis: New laws are needed to protect the recording industry from Internet music piracy. Qualities of a Good Focus / Thesis Statement A good focus should: - Require explanation.  If it didn't what more would there     be to say? - Be expressed in a single, concise sentence. - Represent an answer to your original research question. - Generate enough discussion to fill out the requirements of your    assignment (e.g. the topic will support a 4-5 page paper). Your thesis statement is a refined statement of what you want to write about. It differs from the research question you started with in that it usually indicates a position you will defend or refute.  Consider the examples below. Question:  How does Internet music piracy impact the recording industry? Thesis: New laws are needed to protect the recording industry from Internet music piracy. Sample Thesis Statements Examine the following thesis statements.  Only one of them displays good focus.  Which one? 1. Some terrorism is good. 2. Terrorism has cost the airline industry billions of dollars. 3. U.S. airline carriers should adopt the proven security    policies of Israeli Airlines to stem terrorism and secure   consumer confidence. Number 3 has good focus.  It is concise, specific, and has manageable scope. But what's wrong with the other two? 1. Some terrorism is good. This is much too general 2. Terrorism has cost the airline industry billions of dollars. This statement is simply a fact, and thesis statements need to be more than facts.   Exercise -- Identifying Good Focus E4.Thesis:  I decided to write about why the drinking age in Ohio is unfair because you can die in a war and still not have a drink, and I can relate to this because I am eighteen and my friend is in the Army. The thesis statement above is: A. Focused B. Too narrow in scope C. Too long, personal, and rambling. E5.Thesis:  Helmets really don't save the lives of motorcyclists. The thesis statement above is: A. Too general B. Focused C. Too narrow E6.Thesis:  Internet music piracy would cease to be a major issue if the recording industry would establish convenient and inexpensive online purchase options. The thesis statement above is: A. Too general and vague B. Focused C. Too long and personal Answers: E4=C. too long, personal, and rambling; E5=A. too general; E6=B. focused This concludes Focusing Your Topic