Think about possible topics and the details of your assignment. What type of topic does your instructor expect? What are you interested in? Create a topic that is a good fit for you both.
A successful topic
- is narrow, not broad
- asks a complex question
- includes specific information
Examples of topics as questions
How does dental health differ between cities in Whatcom County which do and do not use fluoride in their drinking water?
In what ways has state funding for education changed in Washington in the last 30 years?
To what extent are salmon habitats in the Pacific Northwest impacted by regional fishing practices like using natural or plastic netting?
Strategies to create a narrow, complex, specific topic
- Look at where it overlaps with other topics and focus in there
- Look at a certain aspect of it
- Who are the people you want to focus on?
- When did important events occur?
- What places are important to this topic?
- Choose a point of view to take (legal, ethical, scientific, political…)
Narrow your topic video
Develop a question video
More strategies for creating a successful topic
Use Pre-research
Search in topic databases
