Choosing and Narrowing Research Topics for APA & MLA Essays
Summary
TLDRThis script offers a structured approach to selecting and refining a research paper topic. It emphasizes the significance of personal interest and prior knowledge in choosing a topic, and outlines three critical filters: theme, place, and time. The script exemplifies this process with a case study on Blackwater USA, illustrating how to formulate a debatable, plausible, and consequential research question. It concludes with an example of a well-structured research paper outline, highlighting the importance of a clear and engaging title, focused research question, and the application of the three filters.
Takeaways
- 📘 The initial step in writing a research paper is crucial as it sets the direction for the entire project.
- 🔍 Choosing a research topic should involve a process of narrowing down to a specific and manageable subject.
- 🤔 A good research topic must be debatable, meaning there are differing viewpoints and it's not a settled issue.
- 🧩 To be plausible, a topic should have solid reasoning and support from published sources.
- 🌟 The topic's outcome should be consequential, meaning it has significant implications or importance.
- 💡 Personal interest in the topic can greatly influence the quality and ease of writing the research paper.
- 📚 Leveraging previous experience or research background knowledge can save time and effort.
- 📍 Applying filters such as theme, place, and time can help refine the research topic to a specific scope.
- ❓ Formulating a research question is essential and it should be tested for debateability, plausibility, and consequence.
- 📝 The final research question should not be a simple yes/no question but should invite exploration and analysis.
- 📖 The example given illustrates how to structure a research paper with a catchy title, clear filtering, and a thought-provoking research question.
Q & A
What is the importance of choosing and narrowing a research paper topic?
-Choosing and narrowing your research paper topic is a critical first step because it determines how long it will take to reach the goal of a polished paper. A well-defined topic ensures focused research and writing.
What are the three key tests for a workable research paper topic?
-A valid research paper topic must be debatable, plausible, and consequential. Debatable means there are multiple points of view, plausible means you can support your stance with evidence, and consequential means the topic has significance or impact.
Why is it important to choose a topic you are personally interested in?
-Personal interest and motivation are key factors in how well you will write and how easy or difficult the writing process will be. A topic you are passionate about will keep you engaged and motivated.
What role does previous experience or background knowledge play in topic selection?
-Previous experience or background knowledge can save time and effort when working on a research paper, as you will already have a foundation of information and understanding to build upon.
What are the three filters you should apply after choosing your research paper topic?
-The three filters are theme (slant, focus, or point of view), place, and time. These filters help narrow the scope of your research to make it more manageable.
Can you provide an example of applying the filters to a research topic?
-For a paper on the private security firm Blackwater USA (now known as Z), you might choose the theme of legal accountability, the place of Iraq, and the time period of 2004-2010, focusing on the American invasion and occupation of Iraq.
What is a research question, and why is it important?
-A research question is the central question your paper seeks to answer. It is important because it provides direction for your research and writing, ensuring that your paper is focused and coherent.
How do you test if a research question is valid?
-A valid research question should be debatable, plausible, and consequential. It should allow for different viewpoints, be backed by evidence, and address a significant issue or problem.
Why is it important for a research question not to be a yes/no question?
-A research question should not be a yes/no question because it limits the depth of analysis. A good research question encourages exploration and discussion of multiple perspectives.
What is an example of a well-constructed research question from the script?
-An example of a well-constructed research question is: 'Under whose laws should the employees of Blackwater USA be held responsible for their conduct in Iraq?' This question is debatable, plausible, and consequential.
Outlines
📚 Choosing and Narrowing Your Research Paper Topic
The paragraph emphasizes the significance of the initial step in writing a research paper, which is selecting and narrowing down a topic. It suggests a structured approach to this process, involving brainstorming and applying three tests to ensure the topic is debatable, plausible, and consequential. The paragraph also advises choosing a topic that sparks personal interest and leverages any previous experience or research background. It introduces three filters to refine the topic: theme (or slant/focus), place, and time. An example is given where the topic is narrowed down to the legal accountability of Blackwater USA (now known as Academi) in Iraq during 2004 to 2010. The paragraph concludes with the formulation of a research question that must pass the three tests of being debatable, plausible, and consequential.
🔍 Crafting a Consequential Research Question
This paragraph focuses on the importance of formulating a consequential research question after narrowing down the topic. It uses the example of Blackwater USA to illustrate how the research question should be crafted to be debatable, plausible, and of significant consequence. The example provided is a question about the legal accountability of Blackwater's employees in Iraq, which is a matter of life and death, justice, and is under the scrutiny of the global community. The paragraph concludes with a reminder to test the research question for its debate-ability, plausibility, and consequence, and wishes the writer good luck with their research paper topic.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Research Paper
💡Debatable
💡Plausible
💡Consequential
💡Brainstorming
💡Personal Interest
💡Previous Experience/Research Background Knowledge
💡Filters
💡Research Question
💡Legal Accountability
Highlights
The importance of choosing and narrowing your research paper topic is emphasized as it sets the pace for completing a polished paper.
A valid research paper topic must be debatable, plausible, and consequential to ensure it meets academic standards.
Debatable topics have differing viewpoints and are not entirely settled, allowing for reasonable disagreement.
Plausibility in a topic requires offering valid reasons and support, often from published sources.
Consequential topics have significant outcomes that matter to a broader audience or field of study.
Three steps to narrow a research paper topic are outlined: choosing, filtering, and questioning.
Personal interest in a topic is crucial for motivation and the quality of writing.
Previous experience or research background knowledge can save time and effort in the research process.
Applying filters such as theme, place, and time helps to refine the research topic's focus.
An example using Blackwater USA (now known as Academi) illustrates how to apply theme, place, and time filters.
Generating a research question is the next step after filtering, aiming to guide the research direction.
The example research question explores legal accountability of Blackwater USA employees in Iraq.
The research question is tested for debateability, plausibility, and consequence to ensure its validity.
The example paper's title 'Murder and Mayhem: Blackwater USA and Iraq' captures attention and summarizes the paper's focus.
The final research question should not be a simple yes/no question but should invite exploration and analysis.
The process of narrowing a research paper topic is concluded with tips for generating a compelling research question.
Transcripts
an ancient Chinese proverb tells us the
longest journey begins with the first
step
never has that saying been more true
than when it comes to writing your
research paper this critical first step
of choosing and narrowing your topic
will determine how long it takes you to
reach your goal of a polished paper
that's why it's important at this stage
of choosing and narrowing and filtering
your specific topic to follow a set
process of steps as you do those three
things now once you have chosen your
preliminary topic it's time to
brainstorm as you begin sorting through
these very preliminary ideas try
applying these three tests a valid
workable research paper topic will pass
all three tests making it debatable
plausible and consequential debatable
simply means that different points of
view exist the issue isn't entirely
settled and reasonable people may have
disagreement over some aspects of it to
be plausible you must be able to offer
valid reasons and support for your
position often this support comes from
published sources finally although a
topic may be debatable was solid and
plausible reasoning the outcome must be
of consequence
now with that information is background
let's walk through the three steps that
I want you to follow when narrowing your
research paper topic and they are
choosing filtering questioning when it
comes to choosing a topic if you've
heard this advice before good because
it's very true try to choose a topic
that has aroused your personal interest
some issue you've connected with more
than others personal interest and
motivation are huge factors and how well
you will write and how easy or difficult
writing will be now the next criterion
for choosing previous experience or
research background knowledge can save
you time and headache as you work on
this project so take advantage of it if
you can okay you've chosen a topic that
you're personally interested in and that
you're motivated to write about terrific
now here are three filters that I want
you to apply after you have chosen that
topic first theme also call slant focus
point of view unifying idea second place
third time let's watch these filters in
action
let's say that in some class you want to
focus on the private security firm
formerly known as Blackwater USA and
today known as Z your slant focus theme
or point of view will be legal
accountability now that is certainly not
the only slant or theme you could have
taken another theme could have been
treatment of its employees or political
connections or arms smuggling so clearly
you chose only one of many possible
slants or themes place Iraq now
Blackwater Z operates all over the world
and the US where it was used in New
Orleans after Katrina so you definitely
need to choose a specific place time
let's say 2004 to 2010 so the paper will
focus on the period of the American
invasion and occupation of that country
after filtering your topic you're now
ready to generate your research question
everything you do after you generate
this question will be an attempt to
answer it satisfactorily okay here's the
question under whose laws should the
employees of Blackwater USA be held
responsible for their conduct in Iraq
is that a good question let's test it
first
is it debatable yes the Iraqi government
the US Congress and world courts are all
debating what laws if any should apply
the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Iraqi law Geneva Conventions u.s.
criminal law u.s. civil law all are up
in the air right now and will likely be
for some time to come next is this
question plausible yes all sides are
offering strong legal claims to support
their positions finally is this topic
consequential yes it's really a matter
of life and death justice and injustice
the court of world opinion is watching
and waiting the outcome of this debate
okay I'd like to close with an example
of what your work should look like after
you have finished this exercise first is
the titles murder and mayhem Blackwater
USA and Iraq hmm murder mayhem
definitely got my attention but more
importantly it also summarizes what this
paper is going to discuss what it's
about next here's the filtering and
number two place Iraq then the time
filter and then finally the most
important filter that a theme or slant
legal accountability third and last here
is that all-important research question
please note that it is not a yes/no
question here it is under whose laws
should Blackwater USA employees be held
accountable for actions in Iraq now once
you have generated that research
question don't forget to test it for
it's a debate ability its plausibility
and it's consequent she a leti okay
there you go good luck with your
research paper topic
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