Page 5 Narrow Your Topic

  Narrow Your Topic

After completing the RAFTS chart, list key words for your Internet search, and create a guiding research question that your report will answer specifically.

For example, if you chose "dogs" as the topic, which of the following questions might guide your research best?

1. How many pet dogs are there in Canada?
2. What should a person consider when choosing a pet dog?
3. What are the characteristics of the various breeds of dog?

Question 1 is too narrow. It can be answered with a single sentence.
Question 2 is a good choice because several considerations can be explored.
Question 3 is too broad; entire books have been written on individual breeds.
More examples:

Start to brainstorm with..	Your research question might be...	Key search words might include...	Your thesis statement might be...
Copyright of digital music	Does downloading digital music infringe on a musicians' rights?	music down-loading file sharing P2P Internet copyright musicians	Sharing music files has been a copyright controversy in recent years. Music lovers who share recordings of favourite pieces are committing illegal acts against composers, producers, and technicians in the music industry.
Hockey and violence	Are professional hockey players more violent than the average person is?	hockey violence abuse	Although some people believe that hockey players are more violent than the average person, research suggests....

After choosing and improving your guiding question, complete a research plan. A KWL Chart or "Know-Want to Know-Learn" Chart is a helpful planning tool. You will complete one in Section 2 of  your downloaded assignment file.

• KWL Charts clarify information you already know on a topic while pointing to areas for further exploration. A KWL chart shows varied details about a topic, and that might trigger ideas to make a general topic more specific.

What do I already know about my topic?	What I want to know about my topic?	How I will find out? Resources I can check

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