As you start to research your topic, you will often discover that your topic is too broad or too narrow. Here's how to fix that.
As you begin to research, you may realize that there are many aspects of the topic that you will not be able to cover in the space you have. This means your topic is too broad, and needs to be narrowed down.
| Who | How does your topic relate to a specific group of people? Consider: age, race, religion, gender, etc. |
|---|---|
| When | What is this topic like in a specific time period? Consider: historical periods, points in a life cycle, etc. |
| Where | What is this topic like in a specific region? Consider: countries, neighborhoods, climates, organizations, etc. |
| What | Is there a more specific subtopic or branch of this topic? Consider: specializations, specific types, etc. |
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Video games improve cognitive development skills. | Video games improve cognitive development skills in children. |
| When | Shakespeare stereotypes Jewish characters but humanizes them by the end. | Shakespeare stereotypes Jewish characters according to Renaissance values, but humanizes them in a modern way by the end of the play. |
| Where | Social media helps police officers work with citizens to prevent crimes. | Social media helps urban U.S. police officers work with citizens to prevent and solve crimes. |
| What | Medical marijuana can help lessen pain. | Medical marijuana can help lessen pain and other symptoms of muliple sclerosis. |
Tip: If you find yourself writing most of your paper on just one aspect of your new topic, consider narrowing it even further.
As you being to research, you may realize that your topic is so specific that there isn't much research on it, and you won't have enough content to write about. In this case, your topic is too narrow, and you will need to broaden it. To do this, try selecting a wider age range, geographic region, or more general term to cover more ground.
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Toddlers develop selective trust skills through experiences with deception. | Children develop trust skills through experiences with deception. |
| When | Strict emission reduction rules decreased cancer risks in the early 2000s. | Strict emission reduction rules decrease cancer risks. |
| Where | Wind turbines negatively affect native predatory bird populations in the Mojave Desert. | Wind turbines negatively affect bird populations. |
| What | Studying Russian can increase English language grammar and vocabulary skills. | Studying foreign languages can increase primary language learning skills. |
Tip: You haven't wasted your time by broadening your topic! In many cases, you can fit your previously narrow topic into a paragraph that supports the broader topic featured in the rest of your paper.
You may discover that there is very little whatsoever on your topic, or that no amount of refining is going to turn it into something manageable for your paper. If you let your instructor know early enough, they are usually willing to work with you in refining your topic or in allowing you to select a different topic.
