Focusing research topics

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This chart shows how one writer started with a broad research topic—the American Civil War—and identified subtopics to find a more specific focus.

Model chart

Try narrowing your own research topic, using this chart as a model.

This image shows a branching tree where a general topic (The American Civil War) is divided into population (ex. Lincoln), major event or case study (ex. Major Battles), cause or effect (ex. Causes), time period (ex. Reconstruction), major event or case study (ex. Emancipation Proclamation). Cause or effect (Causes) is divided into cause or effect (ex. Slavery, Cultural Sectionalism, States’ Right, Concerns about Tariffs). Cause or effect (Slavery) is divided to the way specific groups responded (ex. Abolitionism). The way specific groups responded (ex. Abolitionism) is divided into one genre or form (ex. Oratory, Published Writing, Protests and Demonstrations). One genre or form (ex. Published Writing) is divided into time period (ex. Before the War, During the War). One genre or form (ex. Protests and Demonstrations) is divided into major event or case study (ex. John Brown’s Raid (Harpers Ferry, 1859)). Time period (ex. Before the War) is divided into geographic area (ex. In Europe, in the U.S.), one genre or form (ex. in Literature, in Newspapers), the way specific groups responded (ex. from Educational Institutions, from a Christian Framework). Geographic area (ex. in Europe) is divided into geographic area (ex. France, Britain). Geographic area (ex. in the U.S.) is divided into geographic area (ex. Boston, Philadelphia). One genre or form (ex. in Literature) is divided into the primary texts to be analyzed (ex. Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852 novel)). One genre or form (ex. in Newspapers) is divided into population (ex. by and for Free Blacks, by and for Whites). The way specific groups responded (ex. from Education Institutions) is divided into major event or case study (ex. Bates College, Maine, Oberlin College Ohio). The way specific groups responded (ex. from a Christian Framework) is divided into population (ex. Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian).

Identifying subcategories

Note that the writer breaks their original topic down by:

focusing on . . .
one genre or form
a given time period
a geographic area
one population
a cause or effect

identifying . . .
the primary texts to be analyzed
the major event or case study
analyzing . . .
the way specific groups responded

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This resource from the Baruch College Writing Center is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are free to share, adapt, transform, or otherwise use this material in any medium, with attribution.