Choosing and Narrowing a Research Topic

Before you begin your research, it’s important to decide what you want to explore and why. A strong research focus gives your project direction and helps you stay organized as you move through each step of the process.

Start by thinking about what genuinely interests you -- maybe it’s a specific literary work, a recurring theme, or a big question raised by a piece of theory or film. From there, you’ll use background reading to learn more about your topic and see how others have discussed it. This exploration helps you narrow your broad ideas into a clear, researchable question or thesis that will guide your project.

Selecting a Literary Work, Theme, or Question

Start by selecting a literary work, author, theme, or critical question that genuinely interests you and aligns with your assignment’s requirements. Your topic might come from something you read in class, a recurring theme you’ve noticed across works, or a concept from literary theory that intrigues you.

Tips for Selecting a Topic:

• Choose a work or author that offers enough depth for analysis.
• Consider a theme that resonates with you.
• Look at literary movements or genres.
• Frame your interest as a question.

When starting broad, it’s okay to jot down several ideas before settling on one that’s both interesting and manageable.

Coming across a lot of new terms? Check out Literary Terms from Purdue OWL to learn what they mean.

Gather Background Information

Once you have a general idea, explore it further by reading background materials. This stage helps you get familiar with major themes, interpretations, and scholarly conversations surrounding your topic.

Where to Start:

• Reference sources: Use encyclopedias like The Oxford Reference Online or Literary Reference Source to get summaries of works, authors, and movements.
• Library databases: Search academic databases such as EBSCOhost or JSTOR to see how scholars have written about your topic.
• Critical overviews: Review introductions or prefaces in anthologies and critical editions for useful context.

During this stage, take note of recurring concepts, keywords, or debates, they’ll guide your next step in forming a focused research question.

Keep the following resources in mind as you gather background information. They will support you later when you begin drafting your writing.

Narrowing Broad Ideas into a Research Question or Thesis

After gaining some background knowledge, start narrowing your focus. A strong research question helps you focus your topic, guide your search for sources, and shape the direction of your paper or project.

In the video below, you’ll learn more about how to develop and refine your own research question.