Use this worksheet to develop your research topic. It will guide you through the steps needed to brainstorm and refine your ideas.
Use this table to narrow your research topic. Most topics should be refined from a broad idea into a more focused topic.
| Examples | Ex. 1 | Ex. 2 | Ex. 3 | Ex. 4 |
| Broad Topic | Crime | Immigration | Domestic Violence | Pollution |
| Restricted Topic | Deterrence of Crimes | Immigration and United States | Reasons for Domestic Violence | Water pollution |
| Narrowed Topic | Capital punishment and deterrence | Immigration and enforcement and United States | Animal Cruelty and Domestic Violence | Fertilizer and Fish |
| Research Question | Does capital punishment deter crimes? | Should the United States more stringently enforce immigration laws? | Are people that commit animal abuse more likely to commit domestic violence? | Does fertilizer in run-off water kill fish? |
Use the chart below to narrow your topic into a research question.
| Topic #1 | Topic #2 | |
| Broad Topic | ||
| Restricted Topic | ||
| Narrowed Topic | ||
| Research Question |
Next, separate your research question into individual concepts. Topics that use difference words to say the same thing should be grouped together. Create a separate category for concepts that have a different meaning. Use the chart below as an example. This example is for research question #2, "Should the United States more stringently enforce immigration laws?"
| Concept #1 | Concept #2 | Concept #3 | ||
| immigration | enforcement | United States | ||
| OR | OR | OR | ||
| immigrants | Coast Guard | |||
| OR | AND | OR | AND | OR |
| refugees | police | |||
| OR | OR | OR | ||
| border patrol | ||||
| OR | OR | OR | ||
Use the following blank chart with your research question:
| Concept #1 | Concept #2 | Concept #3 | ||
| OR | OR | OR | ||
| OR | AND | OR | AND | OR |
| OR | OR | OR | ||
| OR | OR | OR | ||