Design Research Project - Moriarty: The Research Process

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.