How to Identify a Research Topic

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How to Identify a Research Topic?

• Ronald W. Luna
• Geography 212

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What makes an effective research topic?

• Passion
• Personal interest
• Professional interest
• Gives you an A in the class

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How to identify your research topic?

• State your interest (topic) as a question
• Ex. If you are interested in understanding the
  salvadorean community in the Washington
  metropolitan area. You might want to ask, why
  do salvadoreans migrate into the Washington
  metropolitan area?
• Identify the main concepts or keywords
• Ex. Migration, Salvadorean, and Washington
• metropolitan area.

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How to test your research topic?

• Is it too broad?
• -Too much information available and will need to
  narrow focus.
• Is it too narrow?
• -Not enough information available and will need
  to broaden focus.
• Is it too specific or specialized or new?
• It will be difficult in finding enough
  information or sources and you will need to
  broaden your idea.

Tip combine words by using and or. Ex.
Salvadoran and Migration
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How to narrow your research topic?

• What do you know about about it?
• What dont you know?
• What aspects of your topic interest you
  Historical, sociological, environmental?
• What time of period do you want to cover?
• On what geographic region do you want to focus?
• Finally, is it a human geography topic?

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Narrowing your topic
Narrowed topic Sentence Why do salvadoreans
migrate into the Washington metropolitan area?
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How to broaden your research topic?

• Look for parallels and opportunities for broader
  associations
• - Could you examine other fields, in addition to
  human geography? Ex. anthropology
• -What other issues are involved in your topic?
  In the case of migration look at larger issues
  such as discrimination, assimilation, etc.
• Brainstorm!! By coming up with other keyterms
  from the topic
• Talk to a reference librarian!!!!

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Broadening your Topic
Broadened Topic sentence Why do Latinos/Hispanic
migrate into the United States?
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Tips

• Pick a topic that you are interested in
  researching.
• Use multiple variables of key terms such as
  Salvadoreans, Salvadoran, El Salvador, etc.
• Migration, immigration, emigration, etc.
• Be flexible with topic (is going to change).
• Talk to the instructor and peers.

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Research Topic H.W.

• Provide a research question.
• Provide a brief background or description of
  research topic.
• Supporting points or arguments.
• Research topic will be one page in length and
  follow guideline in syllabus.
• Provide a title for your research topic or paper.