An Introduction to Research Processes

Many writers of research papers begin with a general topic and try to learn everything they can about it. They quickly learn that it’s best to work with a "narrow" topic – that is, one that you can address in a limited number of pages. Rather than writing about the general topic of gun control, for instance, you might choose to write about the impact of a particular piece of gun control legislation, such as the Brady Bill, on a specific group of people, such as police officers.

A preliminary search can be the first step in narrowing your topic. It can help you learn about information resources available on your general topic. It can also help you learn more about which aspects of your topic interest you the most. After searching on the general topic of gun control, for instance, you might find out which periodicals, books, and Web sites can provide you with useful information about the topic. You might also find yourself most interested in particular aspects of the gun control issue, such as pending legislation, effectiveness in crime prevention, or the activities of specific organizations campaigning on each side of the issue.

Once you’ve narrowed your topic, you can move to the next step in research writing: defining a research question.