Research Topic Development Strategies

The video tutorial explains how to focus a research paper by narrowing down a broad topic using four key questions: time period, location, category, and perspective. It uses the comic book industry as an example to demonstrate this process, focusing on American superhero comics from 1938 to 1950 and the representation of female heroes. The tutorial also provides additional examples, such as global warming and political strategies, to illustrate the application of this four-step strategy. The video concludes by suggesting the next step of creating a research question.

Why is it important for research papers to have a clear focus?

• To provide depth and clarity

• To make them more entertaining

• To ensure they are easy to write

• To make them longer

What is the first step in narrowing down a research topic?

• Identifying a category

• Selecting a time period

• Deciding on an issue

• Choosing a location

During which years did the Golden Age of Comic Books occur?

• 1938 to 1950

• 1950 to 1960

• 1920 to 1930

• 1960 to 1970

What is the second step in narrowing down a research topic?

• Selecting a location

• Identifying a category

• Choosing a time period

• Deciding on an issue

Which location was chosen for the comic book research topic?

• Europe

• Australia

• Asia

• America

What is the third step in narrowing down a research topic?

• Selecting a location

• Choosing a time period

• Deciding on an issue

• Identifying a category

Which category was chosen for the comic book research topic?

• Science fiction comics

• Romance comics

• Horror comics

• Superhero comics

What is the fourth step in narrowing down a research topic?

• Choosing a time period

• Deciding on an issue or perspective

• Selecting a location

• Identifying a category

Which issue was chosen for the comic book research topic?

• Representation of female heroes

• Representation of sidekicks

• Representation of male heroes

• Representation of villains

How can the four-step strategy be applied to the topic of global warming?

• By examining the increase in global temperatures

• By analyzing the melting of polar ice caps

• By studying the effects of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest

• By focusing on the impact of ocean acidification on oysters near British Columbia over the past five years