Selecting a Topic of Essay or Research Topic

Some steps:

The following steps used in selecting essay topic

1. Write about what you know 2. Identify your audience 3. Decide on the purpose of the essay4. Select a topic that will interest your

audience

How to narrow your topic down?

You need to decide the pattern of your essay organization

Topic: UNEMPLOYMENT

What causes people to lose their jobs? (cause and effect)

UNEMPLOYMENT How to combat Unemployment? (Problem Solution)

Unemployment in

Indonesia in the 60s and in the 90s (Comparison and Contrast)

What causes people to have speaking anxiety? (Cause-Effect)

Speaking Anxiety How to overcome the speaking Anxiety? (Problem-Solution)

Speaking anxiety experienced by high school and university student. (Comparison-Contrast)

Selecting a Research Topic

It needs to do the following steps, if you want to choose your research topic:

1. Brainstorm for ideas 2. Read general background information3. Focus on manageable topic 4. Make a list of useful keywords 5. Be flexible 6. Define your topic as a focused research question7. Research and read more about your topic8. Formulate a thesis statement

(WSU Stewart Library)

Step 1: BRAINSTORM YOUR IDEAChoose a topic that interests you

You may use the following questions to generate your topic idea:

1. Do you have a strong opinion on current teaching strategy?

2. Did you read a newspaper article, journal, book, or other learning sources which triggered your curiosity?

3. Do you have a personal issue, problem , or interest that you’d like to know more about?

4. Is there an aspect of one of your courses you are interested in learning more about?

Step 2: Read General Background Information

1. Read a general encyclopedia article on the top two or three topics you are considering; to get an overview or see how your idea relates to broader, narrower and related issues

2. Read magazine, journal, or newspaper article on the topic; use article databases

3. Find web sites which relate to your topic

Step 3: Focus on Your Topic 1. Keep it manageable; it is very difficult to

research if it is too broad or too narrowyour topic: teaching strategy; by performance of teacher, by subject matter, by interaction with students, etc

2. Avoid broadly interdisciplinary topic

Step 4: make a list of useful keywords

1. Look for words that best describe your topic

2. These words will be found in the reading you do while selecting your topic

3. Find synonyms, broader and narrower terms for each key word you find in order to expand your search capabilities

Step 5: be flexible

You are free to modify your topic during the research process

Step 6: define your topic as a focused research question for example;

Idea: Teaching strategy can achieve the students academic score

Research question: in what term do the teaching strategy achieve the student academic score?

A focused research question: what is the most effective strategy used to motivate students to learn?

Step 7: research and read more about your topic

1. Use the key words you have gathered to research in catalog, article database, and internet search engine

2. You will need to do some research and reading before you select your final topic

Step 8: formulate a thesis statement1. Write your topic as a thesis statement; thesis

statement could be one or two sentences that state precisely what is to be answered, proven, or what you will inform your audience about your topic

2. the development of thesis assumes that there is sufficient evidence to support the thesis statement

3. The title of your paper may not be exactly the same as your research question or thesis statement