Once you have chosen a general topic idea, the next step is to refine your topic and then formulate a research question.
A topic will be very hard to research if it is too broad or narrow. Pick a topic that is not too broad that you find too much information, and not too specific that you cannot find enough research to support it.
The next few tabs will take you through strategies on how to refine or broaden your research topic.
If you try these strategies and still experience issues in getting your topic to that "sweet spot," then talk to your instructor or a librarian. Your liaison librarian can advise you on how to refine or broaden your topic, so it is "searchable."
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
One way to narrow a broad topic is to apply context to it, by assigning contextual facets to what you will cover.
For example, you are interested in researching reading comprehension strategies.
| Contextual facets | Examples |
| Discipline / Specific area |
Reading comprehension in Social Sciences Reading comprehension in science education |
| Population Group |
Reading comprehension for grade three Reading comprehension for middle school students Reading comprehension for male students |
| Geographical or Socioeconomic area |
Reading comprehension in urban schools Reading comprehension for students in poverty |
| Culture | Reading comprehension for African-Americans |
For example: Reading comprehension for African American males.
You could integrate all or some of the facets to form your research question.
Note! If you combine all of the facets, your topic might become too specific and therefore too hard to find enough resources to support it. It does not hurt to try researching for a specific topic, but keep that in mind that you may need to broaden it out.
Sometimes it can be tricky to figure out that "sweet spot" on what is a suitably refined research topic -- what is too broad, vs. what is too narrow for a database search?
It is better to have a more specific research topic because then you might find articles or other resources that address the context of your research topic. And f you cannot find enough resources for it, you can always broaden it out.
| Broad Topic | Narrowed Topic | Further Refined Topic | Revised Research Question |
| Engaging apathetic students | Engaging apathetic students - in high school | Engaging apathetic students - in high school - in reading | How can I get my apathetic high school students to become engaged in reading? |
| Reading comprehension strategies | Reading comprehension strategies - in the elementary classroom | Reading comprehension strategies - fourth-grade classroom | What reading comprehension strategies can I implement in the fourth-grade classroom? |
| Reading Fluency strategies | Reading fluency - lower elementary grades | Reading fluency - second grade | What strategies can I use to improve reading fluency of second-graders? |
Sometimes, even if you tried to refine your topic just right, you will get too few results on it. You may need to broaden your topic. Before you do:
A librarian may know advanced search tactics and techniques you have not tried yet to help find results.
If you are still hardly getting any results, broaden your topic a little at a time until you find enough literature. You can expand your research question by widening one of your contextual facets, and if that does not help, getting rid of it altogether. Start by broadening the facet that is least important.
| Specific research topic | Broadened a little | Broadened further | Revised Research Question |
| Strategies to improve the reading fluency of a second-grade, female student | Improving the reading fluency of a second-grade student | Improving the reading fluency of an elementary student | How can I improve the reading fluency of a second-grade student? |
| Strategies to improve the reading comprehension of a third-grade male student. | Improving the reading comprehension of a third-grade student. | Improving the reading comprehension of an elementary student. | How can I improve the reading comprehension of a third-grade student? |
| Motivating seventh-grade African-American male students to read | Motivating middle school African-American male students to read | Motivating middle school male students to read | How do I motivate middle school African American male students to read? |
