I. When to narrow a topic
Most students will have to narrow down their topic at least a little.
II. Steps to narrow a topic
- First, start out with a general topic. Take the topic and break it down into categories by asking the five Ws and H.
- Who?
Ex: American Space Exploration
- What?
Ex: Manned Space Missions
- Where?
Ex: Moon Exploration
- When?
Ex: Space exploration in the 1960s
- Why?
Ex: Quest to leave Earth
- How?
Ex: Rocket to the Moon: Space Exploration
- Then, consider the following question areas to generate specific ideas to narrow down your topic.
- Problems faced? (Sustaining Life in Space: Problems with space exploration)
- Problems overcome? (Effects of zero gravity on astronauts)
- Motives? (Beating the Russians: Planning a moon mission)
- Effects on a group? (Renewing faith in science: aftershock of the Moon mission)
- Member group? (Designing a moon lander: NASA engineers behind Apollo 11)
- Group affected? (From Test Pilots to Astronauts: the new heroes of the Air force)
- Group benefited? (Corporations that made money from the American Space Program)
- Group responsible for/ paid for… (The billion-dollar bill: taxpayer reaction to the cost of sending men to the moon)
- Finally, refine your ideas by considering the S.O.C.R.A.P.R. model.
- S = Similarities (Similar issues to overcome between the 1969 moon mission and the planned 2009 Mars Mission)
- O = Opposites (American pro and con opinions about the first mission to the moon)
- C = Contrasts (Protest or patriotism: different opinions about cost vs. benefit of the moon mission)
- R = Relationships (the NASA family: from the scientists on earth to the astronauts in the sky)
- A = Anthropomorphisms [interpreting reality in terms of human values] (Space: the final frontier)
- P = Personifications [giving objects or descriptions human qualities] (the eagle has landed: animal symbols and metaphors in the space program)
- R = Repetition (More missions to the moon: Pro and Con American attitudes to landing more astronauts on the moon)
Source: http//academichelp.net › general-writing-tips › writing-process
Nguyễn Huy Xuân Thiên Ngân
Giáo viên Tiếng Anh – Trường Quốc tế Á Châu