IL Tutorial: Narrowing Your Topic

The scope of your topic needs to fit the length of your paper. A large topic like genetics, for example, is too broad for a short, three to five page paper. To narrow this broad topic, think about the many aspects of genetics and choose one.

Survey your topic to get the overall picture.

• Use the reference sources on the "Defining Your Topic" page.
• Determine the general call numbers for books on your subject using the Library of Congress Classification System
• Make a list of terms and phrases that describe your topic.

Think about your topic by answering some of these questions:

• What is the time period of your research?
• What is the geographic location of your research?
• What aspect of your topic will you focus on?

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