Do some introductory reading on the subject. Introductory reading serves one purpose: to introduce the reader to the subject. Introductory reading provides a framework for your topic; it allows you to set boundaries and focus on the important points that make up your topic. Usually, the best sources for introductory reading are general works--articles in encyclopedias, chapters in textbooks, histories, or specialized reference books such as Contemporary Literary Criticism. Introductory reading should help you narrow your topic.
Note: General encyclopedias may be used only for introductory reading, not as sources for the paper itself.
Following are some examples which show the progression in narrowing a topic using introductory reading as a guide.
History
Topic
General Topic: U. S. Presidents
Narrowed Topic: One U. S. President of the Nineteenth Century:
Jackson
Narrowed More: One aspect of Jackson's Administration: Moving the
Cherokee Nation
Appropriate Topic: Andrew Jackson's decision to move the Cherokee
Nation: The Trail of Tears
Literature
Topic
General Topic: The Scarlet Letter
Narrowed Topic: One aspect of The Scarlet Letter: Literary
Devices
Narrowed More: One literary device: symbolism
Appropriate Topic: The scaffold as a symbolic element in The
Scarlet Letter
You may discover that further restriction is necessary after you begin to read and take notes. The process is ongoing.
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