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Is your topic too broad?
- Is your searching giving you too much information? Too many search results?
- Is it too hard to cover your topic in detail?
Example: I want to write a paper on "fashion." This topic is clearly too broad will need to be narrowed down:
Ask yourself questions about your topic:
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What aspects of the topic are you interested in: the history of fashion, its social effects, etc.?
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What time period do you want to cover?
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Is their a particular group or population that you want to focus on: teenagers, women, etc.?
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What geographic region are you interested in: United States, New York, etc.?
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What kind of information do you think you need? Has it been written about before?
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Is your topic too narrow?
- Is your searching giving you back too little information? Too few search results?
- Is your topic too new? Is it something that has yet to be researched in the academic literature?
Example: I want to write a paper on "how legalizing marijuana would affect crime rates in the United States."
Look for parallels and opportunities for broader associations:
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Could you examine other previously banned substances, in addition to marijuana?
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Could you think broadly about safety concerns and issues -- what might these be?
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Who are the key actors in this controversy? The FDA? The Local Police? Consumer activists?
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What other issues are involved? Such as "How should prescription drugs be managed?
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