How to Choose a Research Topic

Which of these questions is not part of a personal inventory?

• What is your favorite subject?

• What kind of volunteer work do you like?

• What is the paper topic you have been assigned?

• What do you like to read about?

When brainstorming you should...

• decide what interests you first and then find an intersection between your interests and the assigned topic

• start with the assigned topic and try to think of what interests you about that topic.

• use all of your ideas in the final paper.

• ask your classmates to tell you what your topic should be.

If there is no assigned topic for your research paper, you should...

• ask to be assigned a topic.

• find a topic that will interest both you and your reader by using brainstorming exercises.

• choose a topic you think will interest your instructor.

• choose a personal topic so you will not need outside sources.

A list of things that frustrate you is a good starting point for brainstorming a paper topic.

• True

• False

Every subject that interests you is a good topic for a research paper.

• True

• False

A good preliminary topic for a research paper

• interests you but is unrelated to the assigned topic.

• addresses the assigned topic in a way that interests you.

• is the exact topic your instructor assigned.

• addresses the assigned topic in a way you think will interest your instructor.

If the assigned paper topic is "The influence of technology in society," which of these is not a good potential topic?

• Why I hate my cellphone provider.

• Impact of video violence.

• Texting while driving.

• Instant replay for refereeing.

Which of these questions will not help you when deciding on a potential research topic?

• Where can I find information about this topic?

• What would I like to learn about this topic?

• What interests me about this topic?

• How many other people in my class are writing about this topic?

If the instructor assigns a topic, it's impossible to write about what interests you.

• True

• False

When choosing a research topic, choose a topic that has not been widely written about.

• True

• False