Narrowing Your Topic

Think about your message…

In your paper…

WHAT are you going to

SAY about your topic?

or

What QUESTIONS are you going to ANSWER about your topic?

Narrowing Strategy 1: Aspect

Focus on a particular ASPECT of the topic:

Not: Free trade X But: Environmental

result of free trade√

Cultural

Ethical

EnvironmentalHistorical

Political

Free Trade

Narrowing Strategy 2: Time

Focus on your topic during a particular TIME PERIOD

Free Trade

between

1990 and 2000

Narrowing Strategy 3: Type

Focus on a specific TYPE or CLASS of people, institutions, or other things as they relate to your topic

Free trade in tourism industry

Narrowing Strategy 4: Place

Focus on a particular PLACE

Free trade

with Turkey

A Review of Narrowing Strategies:

Narrow your topic by focusing on:AspectTimeTypePlace A combination of two or more of the above

to put it another way…

Start with your topic

Narrow it down by adding a sub-topic

Think of other ways to narrow it down, like time…

or place…

More ways to narrow it down

• Add more sub-topics and related topics• How your topic affects a particular group or

sub-group• An unusual or new point of view

Your narrowed topic is where all of these aspects overlap.

FOR EXAMPLE…

Topic: women’s daily lives

…middle- and upper-class

…in the early- to mid-19th century

We may add a place here,

TURKEY

In the early to mid 19 th century Middle class women’s daily lives in Turkey

Brainstorming

Brainstorming

What is it?

Why do we need it?

A gatheringgathering of ideas from your brain onto paper. Remember rain drops in your book.

The variety variety of ideas and the use of your imaginationimagination assist you in producing a lot of material with which to work.

It’s the best way to collect your thoughts. It’s helpful for organization. It ensures only quality ideas are used in the

paragraph.

Brainstorming Technique

Number One

FreewritingWhat is it? “Free Writing” is like pouring all of your thoughts onto paper. Think about the topic. Then write, write, write. Whatever comes into your brain – even if it doesn’t have to do with the topic. After you write, circle the major supporting ideas about the topic you want to write.

Brainstorming Technique

Number One

Rules for Freewriting

Don’t take your pen off the page; keep writing for the entire time.If you don’t know what to write, write “I don’t know what to write” until you do.Don’t try to sort “good” and “bad” ideas.Don’t worry about spelling and grammar.Write for maximum 5 minutes.Don’t write too long.

Number One

FreewritingWhen is it helpful?When you have NO ideas about a topicWhen you have TOO MANY ideas about a topic

Maybe I could say this or maybe I could say that… hmmm

??????

Brainstorming Technique

Example of Free Writing

Topic: Describe the most beautiful place you’ve seen.

I remember climbing to the top of the mount Ağrı in autumn, the leaves of the trees in Recep Yazıcıoğlu Park, leaving me breathless with its color. I remember children running and playing happily. People are walking with their dogs. There is a big pool inside the park. And what about Didim. ahaa Blue crystal sea in Didim. Long beaches colored like a gold. I love deserted and quiet beaches far away from the city’s noise. Hmmm, I like living. Thats all.

Mapping

“Mapping,” sometimes called “semantic/ idea mapping” or “webbing,” is another way to organize your ideas.Start with your topic in the center, and branch out from there with related ideas.Use words and phrases, not complete sentences.

Number Two

My future

family

Raise healthy, happy children

Stay close to my husband

Make them a priority

education

work

Eventually get a PhD

Never stop learning

Instill a love of education in my children

Learn to love whatever work I am doing

Use the skills I have learned in as many ways as possible

Stay at home while raising children

Brainstorming Technique

Number Three

Listing While making a list, we write single words, phrases or short sentences related to our topic. The idea here is to write down as many ideas as possible in a short time and our goal is to find a specific focus for our topic. To do this, we make a list of every idea about the topic that comes into our mind. Then, we revise our list and group similar ideas together and cross out the items that are not related to our topic.

Global WarmingToxic fumesSUVs/CarsExtinctionBelief/DisbeliefKyoto Agreement

Belief/DisbeliefScientists disagreeAverage AmericanChina/USANormal occurrence or abnormal event?