Choosing a topic for research is one of the most important steps in completing a research assignment. Some instructors assign subjects to their students, leaving students little choice in what students may write about. In this course, you must decide on a subject on your own. Having the responsibility of choosing an appropriate subject for your assignment is sometimes more difficult than merely receiving a subject from an instructor. The advantage of choosing your own subject, however, is that you can select a subject that you find interesting.

Research papers may serve different purposes:

1. explain and/or define a subject (informative)
2. analyze specific issues (analytical)
3. persuade readers by using authoritative evidence (argumentative/persuasive)

When you have a choice in selecting a subject for a research assignment, it is in your best interest to think carefully about the subject you choose. You will be much more likely to find your work pleasant if you have chosen a subject in which you are interested. You also need to consider the scope (length, complexity and purpose) of your assignment. If you are to write a 500 word paper, your subject needs to be very narrow or limited. If your paper is a 2000 word paper, your subject may be broader or less restricted. Sometimes it is difficult to actually find your exact subject until you have found sources and read the information contained in them. After reviewing your sources, you may find that you need to either narrow or broaden your subject to better fit the scope your assignment.

There are many ways to "discover" a subject. You might already have something in mind for your papers in this class, but if you don’t, some of the ideas listed below may help you in discovering a suitable subject:

• Scan current newspapers and news magazines for possible subjects
• Focus on a subject you find interesting in another class or field of study
• Talk to friends, instructors, classmates
• Listen to news broadcasts on radio or watch the news on TV
• Look through professional journals and magazines for possible subjects
• Scan textbooks and course materials for possible subjects
• Search online databases or C-D ROM sources in a library

You should look for a subject about which you feel strongly. Though you don’t want your writing to be based on your emotional reactions, if you have some feelings or at least an intense curiosity about a subject, your work will be much more enjoyable and interesting to you. You might ask yourself questions to help you arrive at a subject such as the questions below:

• What current issues really anger me or cause me to react intensely?
• What issues intrigue me? (Remember: Your paper cannot be supported by purely emotional support.
• What do I think is a serious problem faced by society or some segment of society today?
• What injustices in the world do I wish I could do something about?
• Do you wonder what causes certain problems/issues in society or how those problems/issues can be resolved? What are those issues/problems?
• What have I always wanted to know about _________?
• Is the subject worth discussing in a series of short papers or in one long paper?
• Will a discussion of the subject be merely stating the obvious, or is it complex enough to warrant an in-depth discussion?

If you wish, you can brainstorm subjects on the bulletin board and ask other students for input. Since bulletin board discussions are optional, your responses will be limited to other students who choose to utilize the boards. You may also wish to ask your instructor for feedback on a subject you have chosen.