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Design Research Project - Moriarty: The Research Process

Narrowing Your Topic

Thinking about your Topic from Broad to Narrow

Example:I'm thinking of doing a paper on fashion. This topic could develop in many different ways.

Hint: Ask Yourself Questions About Your Topic:

  • What do you know about it? What don't you know?
  • What aspects of your topic interest you: historical, sociological, psychological, etc.
  • What types of information do you need?
    • Periodical articles, books, essays, encyclopedia articles?
    • Statistics?

Examples

      Broad                                            Focused        

     Music                     The rise of rap and hip-hop in New York City in the 1980's

 

     Education               The effect of standardized testing on learning

 

     Fashion                   The influence of fashion icon Coco Chanel on the fashion industry.

What is a Keyword?

How Do I Find Keywords?