Read about your topic and list three ways to focus it.
Before you can start researching a topic you need to figure out what you don't know.
After reading an article on your topic in a reference book, list three possible ways to focus your topic. You may state your focus ideas as questions. The answer to one of your critical questions may become the thesis of your paper.
For example, the article on violence and aggression in the Encyclopedia of Psychology presents these three possible focus ideas for the topic of aggression:
- Is there a psychological profile for aggression?
- Do children who behave aggressively with other children also behave aggressively toward adults?
- Are there any prevention programs that schools have used successfully to reduce violence in schools?
