refined research topic definition

Research Process: An Overview: Refining Your Topic

• Choosing a Topic
• Refining Your Topic
• Finding Information
• Evaluating Your Sources
• Database Searching
• APA Citation This link opens in a new window

TIP: Be Flexible

It is common to modify your topic during the research process. You can never be sure of what you may find. You may find too much and need to narrow your focus, or too little and need to broaden your focus. This is a normal part of the research process. When researching, you may not wish to change your topic, but you may decide that some other aspect of the topic is more interesting or manageable.

Steps to Refining Your Topic

Once you have chosen a general topic idea the next step is to refine your topic and ulitmately to formulate a research question.

Consider the points below to keep your research focused and on track.  If you continue to have difficulties defining a topic talk to your instructor or a librarian.

The Research Question

Once you have the topic you would like to research, the next step is forming your research question. Your research question should be focused and specifc.  The result should also be a question for which there are two or more possible answers.  See some examples below:

Assignment Guidelines

Before selecting your topic, make sure you know what your final project should look like. Each instructor will probably have different assignment requirements so be sure to read your assignment thoroughly and check for specific guidelines concerning:

• The number of sources you are required to use
• The kinds of sources are you able to use - books vs. web sites vs. journal articles or a variety?
• The type of research you are you being asked to conduct. - original research or review what research has been done?
• The length of your final project - two-pages, ten pages, etc. or an informal, five minute presentation?
• The depth of your project - Is your project an overview of the subject or in-depth and focused coverage of a specific aspect?
• The scope you are required to cover - Is this an historical summary or a report of current developments?

You instructor will probably provide specific requirements for your assignment, if not the table below may provide a rough guide:

Assigning Limits to Your Topic

A topic will be very difficult to research if it is too broad or narrow. One way to narrow a broad topic is to assign limits to what you will cover. Some common ways to limit a topic are listed below using the broad topic, "the environment" as an example.

Remember that a topic may be too difficult to research if it is too:

• locally confined - Topics this specific may only be covered in these (local) newspapers, if at all.

Example: What sources of pollution affect the Genesee County water supply?

• recent - If a topic is quite recent, books or journal articles may not be available, but newspaper or magazine articles may. Also, Web sites related to the topic may or may not be available.
• broadly interdisciplinary - You could be overwhelmed with superficial information.

Example: How can the environment contribute to the culture, politics and society of the Western states?

• << Previous: Choosing a Topic
• Next: Finding Information >>
• Last Updated: Sep 24, 2024 11:49 AM
• URL: https://ggu.libguides.com/research

Research Process :: Step by Step

• Introduction
• Select Topic
• Identify Keywords
• Background Information
• Develop Research Questions
• Refine Topic
• Search Strategy
• Popular Databases
• Evaluate Sources
• Types of Periodicals
• Reading Scholarly Articles
• Primary & Secondary Sources
• Organize / Take Notes
• Writing & Grammar Resources
• Annotated Bibliography
• Literature Review
• Citation Styles
• Paraphrasing
• Privacy / Confidentiality

This tutorial explains how to use Wikipedia as an exploratory tool and where it can appropriately fit in the research process. Created by Michael Baird, Cooperative Library Instruction Project (CLIP)

Created by Western University

https://youtu.be/2xsHHGhM_fk

Be flexible with your research topic/question in the early phases. As you discover new information, you may need to change your focus to address more interesting or more pressing issues.

Is Your Topic Too Narrow?

If you are not finding enough information, your topic may be too narrow. Consider broadening it by:

• Exploring related issues
• Comparing or contrasting the topic with another topic
• Choosing an alternative topic that is not so recent if it is not adequately covered in books and journal articles yet
• Expanding the time period covered
• Broadening the population considered
• Expanding the geographic area discussed

Is Your Topic too Broad?

Narrowing a topic requires you to be more specific about your research interest and can help you to develop a thesis.

Questions to Narrow Your Topic

• Who? Who is the specific person/group to which you would like to limit your research?
• What? What specific aspect of the broad topic idea is interesting to you?
• Where? To which specific geographic area or region would you like to limit your research?
• When? On what time period would you like your research focused?
• Why? Why do you think this is an important/interesting topic?

What is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis is typically a one sentence statement in the first paragraph, or beginning, of your project that states your purpose. Thesis statements should be arguable, specific, detailed, and meaningful.

Additional resources for help in developing a thesis statement:

Developing a strong thesis statement - Purdue OWL

Developing a thesis - Harvard College Writing Center

Broad Topic: What is the impact of climate change on the United States?

Narrower Topic:  How will climate change impact sea levels and the coastal United States?

---------------------------------------------------

Narrow Topic: Does cartoon viewing cause violent behaviors in children under the age of five?

Broader Topic:   What are the negative effects of television viewing on children and adolescents?

Helpful Handout :: Narrowing Your Topic

• Narrowing Your Topic

This handout illustrates how a research question develops from a broad topic to a focused question.

• << Previous: Develop Research Questions
• Next: Step 2: Locate Information >>
• Last Updated: Sep 5, 2024 1:38 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uta.edu/researchprocess

University of Texas Arlington Libraries 702 Planetarium Place · Arlington, TX 76019 · 817-272-3000

• Internet Privacy
• Accessibility
• Problems with a guide? Contact Us.

The Research Process

• Select Topic
• Identify Keywords
• Background Information
• Develop Research Questions
• Refine Topic
• Search Strategy
• Evaluate Sources
• Identify Scholarly Resources
• Cite Sources

Be flexible with your research topic/question in the early phases. As you discover new information, you may need to change your focus to address more interesting or more pressing issues.

Is Your Topic Too Narrow?

If you are not finding enough information, your topic may be too narrow. Consider broadening it by:

• Exploring related issues
• Comparing or contrasting the topic with another topic
• Choosing an alternative topic that is not so recent if it is not adequately covered in books and journal articles yet
• Expanding the time period covered
• Broadening the population considered
• Expanding the geographic area discussed

Narrow a Topic

Narrowing a topic requires you to be more specific about your research interest and can help you to develop a thesis.

Questions to Narrow Your Topic

• Who? Who is the specific person/group to which you would like to limit your research?
• What? What specific aspect of the broad topic idea is interesting to you?
• Where? To which specific geographic area or region would you like to limit your research?
• When? On what time period would you like your research focused?
• Why? Why do you think this is an important/interesting topic?

What is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis is typically a one sentence statement in the first paragraph, or beginning, of your project that states your purpose. Thesis statements should be arguable, specific, detailed, and meaningful.

Additional resources for help in developing a thesis statement:

Developing a strong thesis statement - Purdue OWL

Developing a thesis - Harvard College Writing Center

Broad Topic: What is the impact of climate change on the United States?

Narrower Topic:  How will climate change impact sea levels and the coastal United States?

---------------------------------------------------

Narrow Topic: Does cartoon viewing cause violent behaviors in children under the age of five?

Broader Topic:   What are the negative effects of television viewing on children and adolescents?

Helpful Handout :: Narrowing Your Topic

• Narrowing Your Topic

This handout illustrates how a research question develops from a broad topic to a focused question.

• << Previous: Develop Research Questions
• Next: Step 2: Locate Information >>
• Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 12:25 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wofford.edu/research

Selecting a Research Topic: Refine your topic

• Refine your topic
• Background information & facts

Narrow your topic's scope

Too much information?  Make your results list more manageable.  Less, but more relevant, information is key.  Here are some options to consider when narrowing the scope of your paper:

• Theoretical approach :  Limit your topic to a particular approach to the issue.  For example, if your topic concerns cloning, examine the theories surrounding of the high rate of failures in animal cloning.
• Aspect or sub-area :  Consider only one piece of the subject.  For example, if your topic is human cloning, investigate government regulation of cloning.
• Time :  Limit the time span you examine.  For example, on a topic in genetics, contrast public attitudes in the 1950's versus the 1990's.
• Population group :  Limit by age, sex, race, occupation, species or ethnic group.  For example, on a topic in genetics, examine specific traits as they affect women over 40 years of age.
• Geographical location :  A geographic analysis can provide a useful means to examine an issue.   For example, if your topic concerns cloning, investigate cloning practices in Europe or the Middle East.

Broaden your topic

Not finding enough information?  Think of related ideas, or read some background information first.  You may not be finding enough information for several reasons, including:

• Your topic is too specific .  Generalize what you are looking for. For example: if your topic is genetic diversity for a specific ethnic group in Ghana, Africa, broaden your topic by generalizing to all ethnic groups in Ghana or in West Africa.
• Your topic is too new for anything substantive to have been written.  If you're researching a recently breaking news event, you are likely to only find information about it in the news media. Be sure to search databases that contain articles from newspapers. If you are not finding enough in the news media, consider changing your topic to one that has been covered more extensively.
• You have not checked enough databases for information .  Search Our Collections to find other databases in your subject area which might cover the topic from a different perspective. Also, use excellent searching techniques to ensure you are getting the most out of every database.
• You are using less common words or too much jargon to describe your topic.  Use a thesaurus to find other terms to represent your topic. When reading background information, note how your topic is expressed in these materials. When you find citations in an article database, see how the topic is expressed by experts in the field.

Once you have a solid topic, formulate your research question or hypothesis and begin finding information.

If you need guidance with topic formulation, Ask Us !  Library staff are happy to help you focus your ideas.

• << Previous: Overview
• Next: Background information & facts >>
• Last Updated: Jul 30, 2021 2:50 PM
• URL: https://libguides.mit.edu/select-topic

Refine Research Questions: Refine Research questions

• Refine Research questions
• For UToledo Online Students

  Definitions

Research questions are open-ended and require a variety of accumulated data to develop an answer. ("Could liberalization of drug laws reduce crime in the U.S.?")

Review or report questions are typically answered with what is generally known about a fairly narrow topic. ("What is the rationale for California's "3 strikes" sentencing policy?")

Reference questions are typically answered with single known facts or statistics. ("What percentage of drug-related crime in 1999 was committed by dealers, not users?")

What Makes a Question Good?

A simple question .......

• can be answered with a "yes" or "no" (this is not helpful when trying to elicit further questions, discussion, or analysis).
• contain the answers within themselves.
• can only be answered by a fact, or a series of facts.

A critical question ....

• leads to more questions.
• provokes discussion.
• concerns itself with audience and authorial intent.
• derives from a critical or careful reading of the text or understanding of a topic.
• addresses or ties in wider issues.
• moves you out of your own frame of reference ("What does this mean in our context?") to your author's ("What was the author trying to convey when he/she wrote this? How would the audience have responded?").

Reading, Writing, and Researching for History

Patrick Rael, Bowdoin College, 2004  

Research Question Ideas

Ask speculative questions.

Ask What if? questions.

Ask how the topic fits into larger contexts.

Ask questions that reflect disagreements with a source.

Ask questions that build on agreements with a source.

Ask questions about the nature of the thing itself, as an independent entity.

Ask questions analogous to those that others have asked about similar topics.

Turn positive questions into negative ones.

Look for questions posed in scholarly articles; ask part of the questions.

Find a Web discussion list on your topic...reading the exchanges to understand the kinds of questions those on the list discuss.

(A manual for writing, 2007, pp 15-17)

Evaluate Your Questions

You can answer the question too easily

• You can look it up.
• You can summarize a source.

You can’t find good evidence to support the answer

• No relevant facts exist.
• The question is based on preference or taste.
• You must read too many sources.
• You can’t get the sources that your readers think are crucial.

You can’t plausibly disprove the answer

• The answer seems self-evident because the evidence overwhelmingly favors one answer.

(A manual for writing, 2007, pp.17-18)

• << Previous: Topics
• Next: For UToledo Online Students >>
• Last Updated: Mar 28, 2023 4:42 PM
• URL: https://libguides.utoledo.edu/questions

Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings
• Browse Titles

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008-.

Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews [Internet].

Identifying, selecting, and refining topics.

Evelyn P Whitlock , MD, MPH, Sarah A Lopez , BA, Stephanie Chang , MD, MPH, Mark Helfand , MD, MS, MPH, Michelle Eder , PhD, and Nicole Floyd , MPH.

Affiliations

Published: April 27, 2009 .

• Align its research topic selection with the overall goals of the program.
• Impartially and consistently apply predefined criteria to potential topics.
• Involve stakeholders to identify high-priority topics.
• Be transparent and accountable.
• Continually evaluate and improve processes.
• Appropriateness (fit within the EHC Program).
• Importance.
• Potential for duplication of existing research.
• Feasibility (adequate type and volume of research for a new comparative effectiveness systematic review).
• Potential value and impact of a comparative effectiveness systematic review.
• Ensuring the program addresses truly unmet needs for synthesized research, since national and international efforts in this arena are uncoordinated.
• Engaging a range of stakeholders in program decisions while also achieving efficiency and timeliness.
• Introduction

Globally, people are struggling with the reality of limited resources to address the breadth of health and health care needs. Evidence has been recognized as the “new anchor for medical decisions,” 1 and many consider systematic reviews to be the best source of information for making clinical and health policy decisions. 2 These research products rigorously summarize existing research studies so that health and health care decisions by practitioners, policymakers, and patients are more evidence based. Yet, dollars for research—whether for systematic reviews, trials, or observational studies—are constrained, and are likely to be constrained in the future. Effective prioritization is clearly necessary in order to identify the most important topics for synthesized research investment that may help the U.S. health care system realize powerful and meaningful improvements in health status.

This paper discusses the identification, selection, and refinement of topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews within the Effective Health Care (EHC) Program of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which has been described in more detail elsewhere. 3 In 2003, the U.S. Congress authorized AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program to conduct and support research on the outcomes, comparative clinical effectiveness, and appropriateness of pharmaceuticals, devices, and health care services. This program utilizes the AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program, with 14 designated centers throughout North America that conduct comparative effectiveness systematic reviews, among other research products of the program. AHRQ has designated a Scientific Resource Center (SRC), currently housed at the Oregon EPC, to support the EHC Program as a whole. The SRC has specific responsibilities, including assisting AHRQ with all aspects of research topic development ( Figure 1 ), providing scientific and technical support for systematic reviews and outcomes research, and collaborating with EHC stakeholder and program partners.

Effective Health Care (EHC) Program Lifecycle of a Topic Nomination for Research.

It is not a simple process to select and develop good topics for research. Researchers’ success depends in large part on their ability to identify meaningful questions, while funding agencies continually seek to maximize the return on their investment by funding research on important, answerable questions relevant to significant portions of priority populations. Some have criticized how well funders have actually achieved these results. 4 However, there is little guidance for successfully developing a research program that generates the type of evidence necessary to improve the public’s health.

• Guiding Principles for Identifying and Selecting Topics

In order to derive guiding principles for selecting important comparative effectiveness systematic review topics, we considered what others have done when trying to select priority topics for any health-care-related activity. Over the last 18 years, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and selected others have explored priority-setting models and approaches. 5–10 Across a diverse set of international health- and health-care-related activities—including the development of guidelines by professional societies; clinical service and quality improvement priorities within health care organizations; and national health service guidance for health technologies, clinical practice, and public health—experts have tried to define clear-cut processes and criteria. 9 , 11–13 Although the majority of this existing work has not focused on specific priority setting for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews, the lessons learned from this process are relevant. These experts have found there is no obviously superior approach to setting priorities and little objective analysis to compare the relative strengths and shortcomings of various approaches. 10 , 14

However, across these activities, the EHC Program has found five consistent themes for selecting the highest priority topics ( Table 1 ). The first of these is to clearly identify the overall goals/strategic purpose of the activity in order to align the goals for priority setting within the strategic purpose of the sponsoring program . In the instance of the EHC Program, since no single entity can undertake activities to address all health or health care research needs, priority-setting decisions must flow from the overall mission and strategic purposes of the program.

Effective Health Care (EHC) Program: Principles and processes for research topic selection.

The second principle is to clearly define and apply criteria for prioritization among potential program activities . Although a relatively consistent set of criteria has been utilized across health-related priority-setting activities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada ( Table 2 ), specific criteria will vary with the overall goals and the purpose of any given activity. For example, to determine the national and regional estimates of health care utilization and expenditures, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) prioritized data collected by considering the prevalence of medical conditions and also how accurately households could report on data related to these. 9 Similarly, to identify priority conditions for quality improvement research, the Veterans Health Administration’s Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) focused on prevalent diseases, but further prioritized prevalent diseases with evidence for both best practices and practice variation that could be improved to enhance quality. 9 Thus, for comparative effectiveness systematic review prioritization, additional criteria promulgated by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have been considered when selecting topics for evidence-based guidance. These criteria have pointed out the importance of taking into account whether proposed topics are subject to influence by the program. 13 Additional NICE criteria consider whether new evidence-based products could be produced in a timely manner and the risk of inappropriate treatment in the absence of evidence-based guidance. 13 This could also be considered as the opportunity cost associated with inaction. 5 , 13 The process of decisionmaking in health-related priority-setting activities is complex, is context dependent, and involves social processes; therefore, priority-setting processes should be guided by ethical principles, including careful attention to conflicts of interest. 14 A good priority-setting process that is fair and publicly accountable within a system that is capable of scrutiny, feedback, evaluation, and improvement is viewed as the best approach to gaining desirable outcomes. 14

Definitions of commonly used priority criteria for health-related topic selection. [Bolded criteria are those identified by the Institute of Medicine as most consistently utilized]

The third principle for priority setting addresses the need to involve stakeholders in the identification and/or prioritization process . Engaging stakeholders as key informants provides credibility and avoids prioritizing topics that have no relevance to real-world issues. Organizations engaged in health-care-related priority setting indicate that stakeholders must be made familiar with and understand the criteria by which topics will be prioritized. 11 A recent report from the IOM on identifying highly effective evidence-based clinical services calls attention to the fact that different audiences have different needs from systematic reviews. 10 Health care payers may be most interested in the comparative effectiveness of a treatment or intervention. Regulatory agencies may be interested in questions of safety and effectiveness. Clinicians and patients may be particularly interested in the applicability of research to their specific populations. The priorities for research topics and the questions these topics should answer clearly vary by audience.

Fourth is the need for transparency . Because priority setting is actually an allocation of limited resources among many desirable but competing programs or people, 15 it is highly political and can be controversial. Some have asserted that priority setting in health care represents one of the most significant international health care policy questions of the 21 st Century. 14 Battista and Hodge state that documentation of the process leading to a particular topic being selected (e.g., for a clinical practice guideline) should be explicit and made available to stakeholders. 5 The documentation should include the rationale that relates specific priority-setting decisions to priority-setting criteria, the evidence used when making these decisions, and any programmatic constraints that had a bearing on the process. 11 Transparency requires not only that documentation be kept, but also that program decisions and their rationales be actively communicated to stakeholders.

Fifth is the need for any prioritization approach to undertake process evaluation and improvement measures. Since priority setting at present is inherently a subjective process based on ideals (e.g., fairness) and decisions are made by considering clusters of factors rather than simple trade-offs, 14 there is a great need for ongoing process evaluation and improvement. As Battista and Hodge point out, process documentation forms the basis for process evaluation and improvement. 5

These general themes provide a good framework for selecting topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews. However, more specific additional criteria for clinical and comparative effectiveness research were recently articulated in a 2008 IOM report. 10 This report calls on us to consider how well potential comparative effectiveness research topics reflect the clinical questions of patients and clinicians and whether selected topics truly represent a potentially large impact on the clinical or other outcomes that matter most to patients. The IOM also emphasizes that topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews should be identified and prioritized using a system that aims to be “open, transparent, efficient, and timely,” with sufficient input from key end users. 10

• Processes for Identifying and Selecting Systematic Reviews

As illustrated in Figure 2 , the current EHC Program processes are designed to allow the consistent, broadly focused development of a portfolio of relevant comparative effectiveness systematic reviews. These processes are focused on engaging stakeholders, particularly during topic identification, but throughout the processes of research development and dissemination within the EHC Program. This focus on stakeholders is more intense now than it was in the initial years of the EHC Program. New and existing publicity avenues are being used to encourage nominations and engage in discussions with internal and external stakeholders interested in health care decisionmaking.

EHC Program Activities to Engage Stakeholders in Developing and Disseminating Systematic Reviews (SRs).

Although the EHC Program’s initial mechanisms for topic identification included all of those recently cited by the IOM 10 —such as an open ongoing process for public engagement; topic solicitations; internal processes (e.g., engaging Federal agencies, such as the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services); and mandates—these approaches did not always produce products that met the needs of stakeholders. Nominations were often received through the Web site, but some of these nominations were insufficiently documented for consideration by the program. In addition, initial approaches did not always identify important topics that had not previously been systematically reviewed. Even when new, important systematic review topics were identified through topic nominations, these were not always developed into concise topics ideally suited for decisionmakers.

Thus, the EHC Program is currently implementing a revised system that has two important changes. First, the initial topic identification process involves more direct, focused conversations with stakeholders that represent the broad-based constituencies of the Program ( Table 3 ). Stakeholders continue to be involved in other aspects of the program also, as described below. This direct interaction helps the EHC Program to better identify the populations, interventions, comparators, outcomes, timing, and settings of interest to the stakeholder, and to understand the current practice or health policy context underlying the need for synthesized research. A similar approach has been successfully undertaken by others. 16 Second, more explicit attempts are being made to reduce potential duplication through consulting experts and the literature to ensure that nominated topics have not already been adequately systematically reviewed. Unlike the case of primary research, where replication of existing research can be desirable, conducting duplicate systematic reviews is not clearly advantageous when existing reviews are current and of high quality.

Stakeholder categories for the Effective Health Care Program.

All fully articulated nominations are supported by issue briefs that provide data and contextual details addressing the EHC Program prioritization criteria ( Table 4 ). Topic briefs are circulated before and presented during monthly or more frequent meetings of a topic prioritization group that represents stakeholder perspectives, scientific perspectives, and the programmatic authority vested in AHRQ. The topic prioritization group first considers objective information on the appropriateness of a topic and its fit within the mandate and priority conditions of the EHC Program. The priority conditions ( Table 5 ) were determined through an open and transparent process and approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The topic is then evaluated for its importance to the U.S. population and health care system. The available research basis on which a topic would build, including consideration of research activities already undertaken or underway by others, frames considerations of both the feasibility and desirability of a new systematic review for a nominated topic. Based on these objective data, the topic prioritization group engages in the more subjective discussions of the potential and relative value of commissioning a new systematic review for nominated topics. The group can request that final decisions regarding a topic nomination be deferred until further investigation is completed. Such investigations may involve outreach to nominators or other stakeholders, or further background research to determine answers to questions raised during presentation of the topic brief. At the end of the final topic prioritization discussion, the topic prioritization group can recommend that topics be sent for further refinement as a comparative effectiveness systematic review, be eliminated as outside the purview of the program, or be tabled due to other factors that affect their immediate priority. These recommendations are not binding, but are highly weighted in AHRQ’s final decision as to which research topics are selected for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews.

Selection criteria for Effective Health Care topics.

Priority conditions for the Effective Health Care Program.

• Principles and Processes for Refining Selected Topics

Once topics are selected for comparative effectiveness systematic review, they are further focused into research questions. This process is designed to ensure that the research review results in a product that meets the needs of stakeholders. Key questions should reflect the uncertainty that decisionmakers, patients, clinicians, and others may have about the topic. Key questions guide the entire systematic review process, from the formulation of comprehensive search strategies and the selection of admissible evidence to the types of data abstracted, synthesized, and reported in the final effectiveness report. Developing clear, unambiguous, and precise key questions is an early and essential step in the development of a meaningful and relevant systematic review.

For a fully formulated comparative effectiveness systematic review topic, key questions in their final form concretely specify the patient populations, interventions, comparators, outcome measures of interest, timing, and settings (PICOTS) to be addressed in the review. 17 Although the elements of the PICOTS construct are outlined in a general form at the topic identification phase, further focus and refinement of these parameters are generally required for a clear and transparent systematic review process ( Tables 6 and 7 ). The processes to fully develop key questions are designed to carry forward the overall principles of the EHC Program of being relevant and timely, objective and scientifically rigorous, and transparent, with public participation. 3

PICOTS parameters for both topic nominations and key questions.

Issues that technical expert groups address during topic development.

The EHC Program’s current approach to key question development is largely based on past experiences from AHRQ’s Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program and from other experts in systematic review. Since the inception of the EPC Program in 1997, AHRQ has emphasized the importance of input from key stakeholder informants, technical experts, and patients to elucidate the important concerns and clinical logic or reasoning underlying potential questions for systematic reviews. 18 A perfunctory set of questions or an incomplete problem formulation that outlines the general comparisons but does not specify the circumstances that are of most interest to decisionmakers clearly reduces the usability of the resulting review. 17–21 Formulating questions that address dilemmas in real-world situations, coupled with an understanding of the context around these dilemmas, prevents the production of irrelevant systematic reviews that can result from key questions that focus only on interests pertinent to researchers without much (if any) public input. 2

The EHC Program has extended the original EPC concept of involving key stakeholder informants by developing additional mechanisms for public input. Key informants representing key stakeholder groups may be consulted as part of the topic selection process or, once selected, as part of the topic refinement process. The EHC Program also convenes a group of key stakeholder informants (including patients) and technical experts to provide additional input to the EPC in finalizing key questions for the research review. The SRC, AHRQ, and the EPC conducting the research review work together with this group to refine the key questions for a given topic. Obtaining input from stakeholders on patients’ preferences is essential to identifying pertinent clinical concerns that even expert health professionals may overlook. 22

Incorporating a broad range of perspectives contributes to the objectivity and scientific rigor of a review by assisting EPC researchers in understanding the health care context, as well as clarifying the parameters of greatest interest when planning the research review ( Table 6 ). These parameters are the basis for formulating good key questions and include focused determination of the most relevant populations, interventions, comparators, outcomes, timing, and setting (PICOTS). In focusing on outcomes that matter most to patients, key questions need to identify the overarching, long-range goals of interventions. It is insufficient for key questions to focus only on what is assumed to be true or what is presently studied in the literature; they must include the populations, comparisons, and outcomes that are important to patients, providers, and policymakers using health information in their decisionmaking.

Furthermore, beliefs about the advantages or disadvantages of various alternative treatments are an important target for exploration. Many beliefs about the advantages and disadvantages of a treatment are based on direct evidence about health outcomes from long-term comparative trials. However, some beliefs about comparative effectiveness are based on clinical theories that invoke understanding of the pathophysiology of a disease, assumptions about its course, or expectations about the health benefits associated with improvements in a surrogate measure of outcome. Often, experts and stakeholders can bring attention to the issues that underlie uncertainty about the comparative effectiveness of alternative tests or therapies.

Stakeholders and other technical experts also provide important insight to direct the search for evidence that is most relevant to current practice. First, they can clarify specific populations/subpopulations or interventions of greatest clinical or policy interest. Second, interviewing those with knowledge of current clinical practices can identify areas in which studies differ in ways that may reduce their applicability.

Consistent with the principle of transparency and public participation, the EHC Program solicits public comments on proposed key questions before finalizing the scope of a new systematic review. These public comments are reviewed by AHRQ, the SRC, and the EPC, and all parties agree on changes to be made to the existing key questions to reflect this public input. Final key questions that reflect public input, as well as key stakeholder and expert input, are posted on the AHRQ EHC Web site after a review begins.

Through the processes outlined for topic identification, selection, and refinement, the EHC Program attempts to develop a considerable number of important topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews consistent with the principles that have been outlined above. Each topic must have appropriately focused key questions to adequately frame the systematic review while also faithfully incorporating public feedback and perspectives. The EHC processes have been developed to reduce the amount of bias that individual investigators working in isolation could potentially introduce into a topic for systematic review. However, given the complexities of the process, those involved must keep foremost in their minds the overall goal for EHC topic development: producing critically important research that positively impacts all levels of audiences’ health and health care decisionmaking in order to improve the health of the public.

Because of issues of timeliness and cost, the EHC Program cannot engage all types of stakeholders at each step for every topic. Therefore, one of the main challenges the Program faces as it moves forward is to ensure that the most important perspectives are engaged. The goal is to continue to develop a system that fairly represents the range of interests of all stakeholders across all aspects of the program ( Figure 2 ), yet results in timely and clear reports that are useful to decisionmakers and other audiences. The process for topic identification and refinement is complicated by the large range of potential stakeholder perspectives for any given topic, by the wide-reaching clinical breadth of potential topics for the EHC Program, and by very short timeframes that are inherent in a program seeking to be publicly responsive and accountable. This tension between maintaining the relevance and rigor of research while being responsive to questions in a timely manner is an ongoing challenge.

A related challenge is gaining sufficient detail from nominators and stakeholders to allow topics to be adequately defined in order to be prioritized. The Web-based nomination system ( http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ ) was revised recently, including definition of a minimum set of information that is necessary to understand a topic nomination sufficiently to develop it for explicit prioritization activities. This minimum set of information includes the populations, interventions, comparators, and outcomes of interest to the nominator, as well as the policy and/or clinical context. If any of these components is not clear in the nomination, the Program must have the ability to contact the nominator for more information. Since many Web-based nominations occur anonymously and since resource constraints prevent AHRQ from contacting every nominator to clarify all unclear topics, some good nominations may be missed simply because they are unclear.

Another challenging area is the relatively subjective nature of decisionmaking around topic prioritization and the sometimes highly political ramifications of these decisions. When one ventures into the realm of relative value or worth, considerations become less objective and more subject to bias. To address this challenge, the EHC Program has structured the topic prioritization process so that the same program criteria are considered for every potential topic in the same hierarchical order. Objective evidence is considered and used as a basis for the more subjective aspects of the prioritization process. However, only process evaluation will allow determination of whether this approach helps in fairly selecting topics for research among viable and valuable candidates. Further experience in making this process and its results more transparent will undoubtedly raise unforeseen challenges as AHRQ seeks to balance the range of perspectives that are likely to be expressed, and to do so while minimizing conflicts of interest.

Prioritization of research is a necessity from a practical and a societal perception standpoint. There must be a commitment to target scarce research dollars and efforts to those areas where there will be the greatest impact and where there is a gap in needed research. There is a high level of interest in evidence-based policy and practice and the volume of uncoordinated effort internationally. Therefore, the EHC Program is working to more closely track the systematic review and policy-related activities of other programs, Federal agencies, and researchers. Enhanced coordination with others involved in setting topic priorities or in conducting analogous research is intended to reduce the opportunities for duplication. Such efforts would be greatly assisted by international registries of planned, in process, and completed comparative effectiveness and other systematic reviews.

Setting research priorities is still not a precise science. However, attempting to standardize and evaluate a structured process of setting research priorities for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews will further the goal of linking research to the actual needs of health care decisionmakers. It is necessary to find innovative and effective ways to increase the participation of health care decisionmakers in priority setting and the research process in order to bring a real-world perspective and findings that are increasingly relevant to the needs of decisionmakers.

None of the authors has a financial interest in any of the products discussed in this document.

The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ or the Veterans Health Administration. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of these entities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Suggested citation: Whitlock EP, Lopez SA, Chang S, et al. Identifying, selecting, and refining topics. In: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Methods Guide for Comparative Effectiveness Reviews [posted April 2009]. Rockville, MD. Available at: http: ​//effectivehealthcare ​.ahrq.gov/healthInfo ​.cfm?infotype=rr&ProcessID=60 .

This report has also been published in edited form: Whitlock EP, Lopez SA, Chang S, et al. Identifying, selecting, and refining topics. J Clin Epidemiol 2009. To be published.

• Cite this Page Whitlock EP, Lopez SA, Chang S, et al. Identifying, Selecting, and Refining Topics. 2009 Apr 27. In: Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008-.
• PDF version of this page (401K)

In this Page

Other titles in these collections.

• AHRQ Methods for Effective Health Care
• Health Services/Technology Assessment Text (HSTAT)

Related information

• PMC PubMed Central citations
• PubMed Links to PubMed

Similar articles in PubMed

• AHRQ series paper 3: identifying, selecting, and refining topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews: AHRQ and the effective health-care program. [J Clin Epidemiol. 2010] AHRQ series paper 3: identifying, selecting, and refining topics for comparative effectiveness systematic reviews: AHRQ and the effective health-care program. Whitlock EP, Lopez SA, Chang S, Helfand M, Eder M, Floyd N. J Clin Epidemiol. 2010 May; 63(5):491-501. Epub 2009 Jun 21.
• Review Developing and Selecting Topic Nominations for Systematic Reviews. [Methods Guide for Effectivenes...] Review Developing and Selecting Topic Nominations for Systematic Reviews. Eder M, Feightner A, Webber E, Guirguis-Blake J, Whitlock EP. Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. 2008
• Review Understanding Health-Systems' Use of and Need for Evidence To Inform Decisionmaking [ 2017] Review Understanding Health-Systems' Use of and Need for Evidence To Inform Decisionmaking White CM, Sanders Schmidler GD, Butler M, Wang Z, Robinson K, Mitchell MD, Berkman N, Henderson J, Fiordalisi C, Hartling L, et al. 2017 Oct
• AHRQ series paper 1: comparing medical interventions: AHRQ and the effective health-care program. [J Clin Epidemiol. 2010] AHRQ series paper 1: comparing medical interventions: AHRQ and the effective health-care program. Slutsky J, Atkins D, Chang S, Sharp BA. J Clin Epidemiol. 2010 May; 63(5):481-3. Epub 2008 Oct 1.
• Review Identifying Priorities for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research for Serious Mental Illness [ 2011] Review Identifying Priorities for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research for Serious Mental Illness Jonas D, Mansfield AJ, Curtis P, Gilmore J, Watson L, Brode S, Crotty K, Viswanathan M, Tant E, Gordon C, et al. 2011 Sep

Recent Activity

• Identifying, Selecting, and Refining Topics - Methods Guide for Effectiveness an... Identifying, Selecting, and Refining Topics - Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

Connect with NLM

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894

Web Policies FOIA HHS Vulnerability Disclosure

Help Accessibility Careers

How to Do Research: A Step-By-Step Guide: 1e. Refine a Topic

• Get Started
• 1a. Select a Topic
• 1b. Develop Research Questions
• 1c. Identify Keywords
• 1d. Find Background Information
• 1e. Refine a Topic
• 2a. Search Strategies
• 2d. Articles
• 2e. Videos & Images
• 2f. Databases
• 2g. Websites
• 2h. Grey Literature
• 2i. Open Access Materials
• 3a. Evaluate Sources
• 3b. Primary vs. Secondary
• 3c. Types of Periodicals
• 4a. Take Notes
• 4b. Outline the Paper
• 4c. Incorporate Source Material
• 5a. Avoid Plagiarism
• 5b. Zotero & MyBib
• 5c. MLA Formatting
• 5d. MLA Citation Examples
• 5e. APA Formatting
• 5f. APA Citation Examples
• 5g. Annotated Bibliographies

Is Your Topic Too Broad?

If you are finding too much information , your research topic  may be too                 B R O A D .     Consider narrowing it to a more specific:

Broad Topic: Global warming

Narrower Topic:  How will climate change impact sea levels and the coastal United States?

Is Your Topic Too Narrow?

If you are finding too little information , your topic may be too NARROW , specialized, or current. Use these strategies to broaden your topic.

Example of a Narrow Topic:  Does cartoon viewing cause aggression in children under age five?

Broader:  What are the negative effects of TV on children and adolescents?

• << Previous: 1d. Find Background Information
• Next: Step 2: Locate Information >>
• Last Updated: Aug 13, 2024 3:10 PM
• URL: https://libguides.elmira.edu/research

The Research Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Introduction
• Select Topic
• Identify Keywords
• Background Information
• Develop Research Questions
• Refine Topic
• Search Strategy
• Evaluate Sources
• Primary & Secondary Sources
• Types of Periodicals
• Organize / Take Notes
• Writing & Grammar Resources
• Annotated Bibliography
• Literature Review
• Citation Styles
• Paraphrasing
• Privacy / Confidentiality
• How to Read Research Article
• ChatGPT and the Research Process

Using Wikipedia for Academic Research

This tutorial explains how to use Wikipedia as an exploratory tool and where it can appropriately fit in the research process. Created by Michael Baird, Cooperative Library Instruction Project (CLIP)

Your Research Question

Created by Western University

https://youtu.be/2xsHHGhM_fk

Use Wikipedia in your academic research to help you choose a topic, gather background information, refine your topic, locate key terms to narrow or broaden your search, and locate credible sources.  

Is Your Topic Too Narrow?

If you are not finding enough information, your topic may be too narrow. Consider broadening it by:

• Exploring related issues
• Comparing or contrasting the topic with another topic
• Choosing an alternative topic that is not so recent -- it may not be covered in books and journal articles yet
• Considering the time period covered
• Broadening the population considered
• Expanding the geographic area discussed
• Choosing an alternative topic that is not so popular -- it may be covered in popular magazines and tabloids only

Narrow a Topic

Narrowing a topic requires you to be more specific about your research interest and can help you to develop a thesis.

Questions to Narrow Your Topic

• Who? Who is the specific person/group to which you would like to limit your research?
• What? What specific aspect of the broad topic idea is interesting to you?
• Where? To which specific geographic area or region would you like to limit your research?
• When? On what time period would you like your research focused?
• Why? Why do you think this is an important/interesting topic?

What is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis is typically a one sentence statement in the first paragraph, or beginning, of your project that states your purpose. Thesis statements should be arguable, specific, detailed, and meaningful.

Additional resources for help in developing a thesis statement:

Developing a strong thesis statement - Purdue OWL

Developing a thesis - Harvard College Writing Center

Broad Topic: Global warming

Narrower Topic:  How will climate change impact sea levels and the coastal United States?

---------------------------------------------------

Narrow Topic: Does cartoon viewing cause violent behaviors in children under the age of five?

Broader Topic:   What are the negative effects of television viewing on children and adolescents?

Helpful Handout :: Narrowing Your Topic

• Narrowing Your Topic

This handout illustrates how a research question develops from a broad topic to a focused question.

• << Previous: Develop Research Questions
• Next: Step 2: Locate Information >>
• Last Updated: Sep 20, 2024 12:56 PM
• URL: https://westlibrary.txwes.edu/research/process

Research Process: A Step-By-Step Guide: 2c. Refine a Topic

• Getting Started
• 1a. Books and Ebooks
• 1b. Videos & Images
• 1c. Articles and Databases
• 1d. Internet Resources
• 1e. Periodical Publications
• 1f. Government and Corporate Information
• 1g. One Perfect Source?
• 2a. Know your information need
• 2b. Develop a Research Topic
• 2c. Refine a Topic
• 2d. Research Strategies: Keywords and Subject Headings
• 2e. Research Strategies: Search Strings
• 3a. The CRAAP Method
• 3b. Primary vs. Secondary Sources
• 4a. Incorporate Source Material
• 4b. Plagiarism
• 4c. Copyright, Fair Use, and Appropriation
• 4d. Writing Strategies
• 5a. MLA Formatting
• 5b. MLA Citation Examples
• 5c. APA Formatting
• 5d. APA Citation Examples
• 5e. Chicago Formatting
• 5f. Chicago Examples
• 5g. Annotated Bibliographies
• Visual Literacy

Is Your Topic Too Broad?

If you are finding too much information , your research topic may be too

B R O A D .  Consider narrowing it to be more specific:

Broad Topic: Classical Greek Sculpture

Narrower Topic: The evolution of the male form in classical Greek sculpture.

Is Your Topic Too Narrow?

If you are finding too little information , your topic may be too NARROW , specialized, or current. Use these strategies to broaden your topic.

Example of a Narrow Topic:  Does playing violent video games increase aggression in adolescent boys?

Broader:  Does violent media increase aggression in adolescents?

Research is a Process: Refining and Broadening Your Topic

• << Previous: 2b. Develop a Research Topic
• Next: 2d. Research Strategies: Keywords and Subject Headings >>
• Last Updated: May 29, 2024 10:47 AM
• URL: https://libguides.academyart.edu/research-process

• Research Guides

Writing: A Research Guide

Refining your topic.

• Links to Library Databases
• How Google Search Works
• Google's Biases
• Intro to Library Databases
• SMC Library Search
• Choosing Keywords
• ChatGPT and Research
• Cite in MLA Style
• Scholarly Journal Articles
• Google Scholar
• Advanced Search Tips
• Evaluating Sources
• The Purpose of a Source
• How to Engage with a Source
• Save and Cite Sources with Zotero
• MLA Citation
• Noble WRIT 200/201 - Spring 2024
• Noble WRIT 100/101 F23
• Library Session Reflection
• Library Website This link opens in a new window

You may have been told that you need to choose a topic, write a thesis, and then find some research to back it up.

But the research process usually isn't a straight line! You can, and should, do some research to refine your topic before committing to it. This video explains:

Now do a search on your topic in  Library Search . Take a look at the books and articles that come up. What narrower aspects of your topic are researchers studying? Give a couple examples below. Which of these seems most interesting to you? (If none of them are interesting, stop by the reference desk or  meet with a librarian  for help finding something that  is  of interest to you!)

Here's an example, using the topic of the effects of Instagram on teens' mental health. You might respond: "One article that Library Search brings up is on the relationship between Instagram and self-harm, and another article is about the related but slightly different topic of  an Instagram cyberbullying intervention . One article that seems most interesting to me is on using Instagram to predict and prevent suicide in teens -- even though it's different from my original topic."

• << Previous: Choosing Keywords
• Next: ChatGPT and Research >>
• Last Updated: Sep 6, 2024 10:34 AM
• URL: https://stmarys-ca.libguides.com/writing

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License .

Research Basics: Refining a Research Topic

• Understanding the Assignment
• Choosing a Research Topic
• Refining a Research Topic
• Developing a Research Question
• Deciding What Types of Sources You Will Need
• Types of Sources
• Search Techniques
• Find Books & eBooks This link opens in a new window
• Choose a Database / Find Articles
• Find Articles Using the EBSCO Articles tab
• Find Journals
• Find Websites using Google
• Find Articles Using Google Scholar
• Find Government Documents This link opens in a new window
• Find Statistics This link opens in a new window
• Interlibrary Loan This link opens in a new window
• How to evaluate your sources This link opens in a new window
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources This link opens in a new window
• Popular vs. Scholary This link opens in a new window
• Wheel of Sources
• Incorporate Sources into Your Research Paper
• Paraphrasing
• Voice Markers
• Using Source Material to Develop/Support an Argument
• Reasons to Cite Your Sources
• Citation & Style Guides This link opens in a new window
• Learning Checks
• Open Access Educational Resources
• Research Help

Ask a Librarian

Chat with a Librarian

Lisle: (630) 829-6057 Mesa: (480) 878-7514 Toll Free: (877) 575-6050 Email: [email protected]

Book a Research Consultation Library Hours

Research is a dynamic process. Be prepared to modify or refine your topic. This is usually the sign of thoughtful and well-done research. Usually researchers start out with a broad topic before narrowing it down. These strategies can help with that process.

Brainstorm Concepts

Think of words or concepts that relate to that topic. For example, if your topic is "polar bears," associated words might include: ice, cubs, pollution, hunting, diet, and environmental icon.

Make a Concept Map

Create a visual map your topic that shows different aspects of the topic. Think about questions related to your topic. Consider the who, what, where, when, and why (the 5 W's).

For example, when researching the local food culture, you might consider:

• Why do people buy local?
• What specific food items are people more likely to buy local and why?
• What are the economic aspects of buying local? Is it cheaper?
• Do people in all socio-economic strata have access to local food?

This short video explains how to make a concept map:

Source: Douglas College Library

You can make a concept map by hand or digitally. Below is a link to a free online concept mapping tool:

• Bubbl.us Free tool for building concept maps.

Consider Your Approach or Angle

Your research could, for example, use a historical angle (focusing on a particular time period); a geographical angle (focusing on a particular part of the world); or a sociological angle (focusing on a particular group of people). The angle you choose will depend largely on the nature of your research question and often on the class or the academic discipline in which you are working.

Conduct Background Research

Finding background information on your topic can also help you to refine your topic. Background research serves many purposes.

• If you are unfamiliar with the topic, it provides a good overview of the subject matter.
• It helps you to identify important facts related to your topic: terminology, dates, events, history, and names or organizations.
• It can help you to refine your topic.
• It might lead you to bibliographies that you can use to find additional sources of information on your topic.

Reference sources  like the ones listed below can help you find an angle on your topic and identify an interesting research question. If you are focusing on a particular academic discipline, you might do background reading in subject-specific encyclopedias  and reference sources.  Background information can also be found in:

• dictionaries
• general encyclopedias
• subject-specific encyclopedias  
• article databases

These sources are often listed in our Library Research Guides . 

Here are some resources you may find helpful in finding a strong topic:

• I-Share Use I-Share to search for library materials at more than 80 libraries in Illinois and place requests.
• Wikipedia Get a quick overview of your topic. (Of course, evaluate these articles carefully, since anyone can change them). An entry's table of contents can help you identify possible research angles; the external links and references can help you locate other relevant sources. Usually you won't use Wikipedia in your final paper, because it's not an authoritative source.
• Gale Virtual Reference Library Reference eBooks on a variety of topics, including business, history, literature, medicine, social science, technology, and many more.
• Oxford Reference Reference eBooks on a handful of topics, including management, history, and religion.

Conduct Exploratory In-Depth Research

Start doing some exploratory, in-depth research. As you look for relevant sources, such as scholarly articles and books, refine your topic based on what you find. While examining sources, consider how others discuss the topic. How might the sources inform or challenge your approach to your research question?

• Choosing and Refining Topics Tutorial A detailed tutorial from Colorado State University
• << Previous: Choosing a Research Topic
• Next: Developing a Research Question >>
• Last Updated: Jun 26, 2024 11:36 AM
• URL: https://researchguides.ben.edu/research-basics

Kindlon Hall 5700 College Rd. Lisle, IL 60532 (630) 829-6050

Gillett Hall 225 E. Main St. Mesa, AZ 85201 (480) 878-7514

Research Paper Help

• Types of information
• Refining your topic and identifying search terms
• Database searching
• Which databases should you try?
• Open Web and Statistics
• Misinformation and disinformation
• MLA Citation Guide
• Share Your Research!

Topics and search terms

• Video: Picking your topic IS research! (3 minutes) This video from NCSU highlights how the research process starts before you even figure out your topic. It provides an overview of one way to go about choosing a paper topic that is not only interesting to you, but also not too broad or narrow.
• Video: From Question to Keyword (1 minute) A quick visual narrative that shows how research topics can be turned into keyword searches, from PATH, Lighting Your Way from Research to Writing Tutorial, Module 2, University at North Carolina Greensboro University Libraries.
• Video: Search Smarter (4 minutes) This video from Oklahoma State University Low Library's "Inform Your Thinking" video series provides advice and context on how to target your searches based on your information need, and how to brainstorm good search terms for your topic.
• Boolean operators A fun graphic that demonstrates the difference between AND, OR, & NOT.
• Handout: Search Techniques "Cheat Sheet" A table with a series of tricks and strategies to use when searching in databases and on Google.

Quick Check: Topics and Database Searching

Sometimes the most difficult part of finding information that is relevant to your interests is finding the right search terms.  Look at this slideshow for a series of examples of research topics, and how those research topics might be turned into effective database searches . And remember, often your very best searches come after several tries -- you learn more about what search terms to use after you examine search results from less useful searches. Use database subject terms, abstracts, and open web Google searches to help find more effective terms and synonyms.

• << Previous: Types of information
• Next: Database searching >>
• Last Updated: Jul 24, 2024 9:38 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.stonybrook.edu/wrttutorials
• Request a Class
• Hours & Locations
• Ask a Librarian
• Special Collections
• Library Faculty & Staff

Library Administration: 631.632.7100

• Stony Brook Home
• Campus Maps
• Web Accessibility Information
• Accessibility Barrier Report Form

Comments or Suggestions? | Library Webmaster

Except where otherwise noted, this work by SBU Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License .

Steps in the Research Process: Refine Your Topic

• Research Process Overview
• Finding a Topic
• Refine Your Topic
• Background Information
• Developing Research Questions Worksheet
• Identify Keywords
• Find Books and Media
• Find Articles in Library Databases
• Website Evaluation
• Google Scholar
• Citation/Plagiarism

Deciding When A Topic is Too Broad

A topic is too broad to be workable when you find that you have too many different (but oftentimes remotely related) ideas about that topic. While you want to start the writing process with as many ideas as possible, you will want to narrow your focus at some point so that you aren't attempting to do too much in one essay.

Where essays requiring research are concerned, your topic is too broad if you are able to find thousands of sources when conducting a simple library or Internet search.

For example, conducting a search on "foreign languages in Oregon" will provide you with policies, foreign language departments, and cultural issues (just to name a few). When this happens, you can try various narrowing strategies to determine what most interests you about your topic area and what relates to your own life most readily. For instance, if you plan to study abroad, focusing on the language you'll be speaking might be a way to narrow the scope of your original topic, "foreign languages in Oregon."

Make your results list more manageable. Less, but more relevant, information is key. Here are some options to consider when narrowing the scope of your paper:

• Theoretical approach : Limit your topic to a particular approach to the issue. For example, if your topic concerns cloning, examine the theories surrounding of the high rate of failures in animal cloning.
• Aspect or sub-area : Consider only one piece of the subject. For example, if your topic is human cloning, investigate government regulation of cloning.
• Time : Limit the time span you examine. For example, on a topic in genetics, contrast public attitudes in the 1950's versus the 1990 's.
• Population group : Limit by age, sex, race, occupation, species or ethnic group. For example, on a topic in genetics, examine specific traits as they affect women over 40 years of age.
• Geographical location : A geographic analysis can provide a useful means to examine an issue. For example, if your topic concerns cloning, investigate cloning practices in Europe or the Middle East.

Deciding When a Topic is Too Narrow

Though student writers most often face the challenge of limiting a topic that is too broad, they occasionally have to recognize that they have chosen a topic that is too narrow or that they have narrowed a workable topic too much.

A topic is too narrow if you can't find any information about it . For example, suppose your foreign language subject to, "foreign language policy in South Dakota." Although you might have a strong interest in this topic, South Dakota may not have a specific policy about foreign languages. If you have chosen the topic, "teaching Chinese in elementary schools," and your research attempts have been fruitless, it may be that you are considering a topic that no one else has previously presented. In other words, no one has determined that Chinese should be a major language taught as commonly as Spanish or French. If this happens to be the case, keep your topic in mind, because it could very well be an excellent topic for a graduate thesis or dissertation. However, it is also likely to be a difficult topic to handle in a ten-page essay for an education class, due in two weeks.

If your topic is too narrow, try making it broader by asking yourself related questions.

• What foreign languages are taught in South Dakota schools?
• Or where is Chinese taught and why?

Once you've found a different direction in which to move with your topic, you can try narrowing it again.

Not finding enough information? Think of related ideas, or read some background information first. You may not be finding enough information for several reasons, including:

• Your topic is too specific . Generalize what you are looking for. For example: if your topic is genetic diversity for a specific ethnic group in Ghana, Africa, broaden your topic by generalizing to all ethnic groups in Ghana or in West Africa.
• Your topic is too new for anything substantive to have been written. If you're researching a recently breaking news event, you are likely to only find information about it in the news media. Be sure to search databases that contain articles from newspapers. If you are not finding enough in the news media, consider changing your topic to one that has been covered more extensively.
• You have not checked enough databases for information . Use the Library catalog to find other databases in your subject area which might cover the topic from a different perspective. Also, use excellent searching techniques to ensure you are getting the most out of every database.
• You are using less common words or too much jargon to describe your topic. Use a thesaurus to find other terms to represent your topic. When reading background information, note how your topic is expressed in these materials. When you find citations in an article database, see how the topic is expressed by experts in the field.

Once you have a solid topic, formulate your research question or hypothesis and begin finding information.

If you need guidance with topic formulation, the Library staff are happy to help you focus your idea s.

• << Previous: Finding a Topic
• Next: Background Information >>
• Last Updated: Jul 25, 2024 10:10 AM
• URL: https://library.sunywcc.edu/c.php?g=20367

Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence!

Westchester Community College provides accessible, high quality and affordable education to meet the needs of our diverse community. We are committed to student success, academic excellence, workforce development, economic development and lifelong learning.

• Admissions and Enrollment
• Workforce & Community
• Student Life
• Employment Opportunities
• DEI/Title IX
• Federal EEOC Compliance Statements
• Policies & Procedures

75 Grasslands Road Valhalla, NY 10595 Tel: (914) 606-6600

Research Process

• What is Research?
• Choose a Topic
• Background Research
• Refine Topic
• Create Research Question
• Develop Search Strategy
• Evaluate Results & Sources
• Adjust (and Repeat) Search
• Write, Review, Cite, Edit
• Using AI like Chat GPT for Research

Refing Topic

• How to Narrow your Topic
• Examples of Narrowing Topic
• Thesis Starement?
• Creating an Interesting Topic

If your topic can be summarized in one word it is too broad. A  thesis statement   should be written to help assert your view, structure your argument, and introduce evidence to back up your points.  

Ways to narrow your topic:  

• Who? When? What? Which? Where? How?   

ex.  Migrating birds Weather effects on journey of migrating birds in winter.   (What, when)  

• Skim over an encyclopedia article and read a few intro    paragraphs, subheadings, and look at pictures.    ​​​​​​​

ex.  Birds  Birds  migrating in the winter. Arctic terns migrating to Southern Ocean.  

• ​​​​​​​ Focus topic by limiting subtopics: chronological, geographical,  biographical, event-based and technological.   

ex.  Geography:  The different species of birds migrating from Alaska.  

Technology:  How new transmitters help track path of migrating birds.  

A thesis statement:  

...tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.  

...is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.  

...directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.  

...makes a claim that others might dispute.  

...is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the  reader.  The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.  

From:  “Thesis Statements.”  Writingcenter.unc. edu , writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/. Accessed 22 May 2020.  

A   strong thesis statement  i s specific. If you find yourself using general words like "good," then you're not digging deep enough .  

For example :  

"European travel is a good way to spend your summer," is not specific enough.   

Why is European travel good? Further examine the heart of your  topic  and focus on very specific areas of European travel that you can realistically cover and support with solid evidence.  

"Solo European travel requires independence which, in the end, bolsters personal confidence."   

This is much more specific and targeted. Now, you can hone in your research on solo travel through Europe, the need for independence, and its positive effect on personal confidence.  

Taken from: “Thesis Statement Examples.”  Your Dictionary , examples.yourdictionary.com/thesis-statement-examples.html. Accessed 22 May 2020  

Look for current events or stories related to your topic :  

Twitter:   See what others are talking about find something you can tie into your topic.  

News and Media:  Use news and media sources to help narrow down your topic and find more information. 

Blogs:   See what blogs are writing about and how this might help with your topic. (Make sure the blog you choose is reputable).  

Look for something that interests you and is also current. For instance, if you’re writing about wildlife you may want to write about how the recent oil spill has affected the animals in the water and along the coast.   

• << Previous: Background Research
• Next: Create Research Question >>
• Last Updated: May 6, 2023 8:04 PM
• URL: https://uwcchina.libguides.com/research

Library Research Guide for ENL 213

• ENL 213 Guide
• 1. Refine Research Topics
• 2. Periodical Types and Criteria
• 3. Exploring the Library Website
• 4. Searching with Summon
• 5. ProQuest Database
• Citing Sources

Additional Resources

Need help ask us.

Report an Electronic Resource Issue

Policy on Access to Licensed Web Resources

Suggest a Title

Refine Research Topics

1. Read "How to Refine Research Topics and Generate Search Terms" section.

2. Complete the  "Choosing and Using Keywords" tutorial .

3. Complete Part 1 of the Research Practice Worksheet .

How to Refine Topics and Generate Search Terms

Research starts with a topic or a question. What do you want to learn more about? Once you have a basic topic, you will need to spend some time deciding exactly what you want to learn about it and describing it in a way that makes it possible to find information about it. This is called refining your topic .

For example, let's say you're interested in writing a paper about social media . Here are some questions you could ask yourself:

1. What?: What about social media interests you (e.g., user behavior, ethics, technology, specific apps)?

2. Where? : Is there a particular location you want to focus on (e.g., United States, Asia)?

3. When? : What time period do you want to focus on (e.g., present day, five years ago)?

4. Who? : What population would you like to focus on (e.g., teenagers, college students, adults, men/women)?

5. Why? : What is important about your research? What will it help us understand (e.g., impact on society, mental health, etc.)?

Once you've answered these questions, you can begin to think about keywords for a search. For example:

"social media" AND "college students"

TikTok AND censorship AND India

ACTIVITY : Complete the tutorial below and then complete Part 1 of the Research Practice Worksheet.

Choosing and Using Keywords Tutorial (Log-In Required)

• Refining Search Results Video (Credo) more... less... Login required
• << Previous: ENL 213 Guide
• Next: 2. Periodical Types and Criteria >>
• Last Updated: Jul 12, 2024 2:00 PM
• URL: https://researchguides.library.syr.edu/enl213
• Print This Page

Research Basics

Refine Your Topic

Performing background research may reveal that your topic or research question is too broad (large) in focus or too narrow (small) in focus. You may have found too many or too few results to meet your information needs or assignment requirements. For example, a topic like "race horses" will be too broad and return many results and potential areas for research. In contrast, a topic like "race horse cardiovascular injuries on synthetic surfaces" will be too narrow to find substantial research.

If you suspect your topic or research question is too narrow or too broad, proceed to the next sections for tips on how to fix these issues.

Narrow Your Topic

Are you finding too much information on your topic? Make your results list more manageable. Less, but more relevant, information is what we're aiming for. Here are some options to consider:

• Aspect or sub-area: Consider only one piece of the subject. For example, if your topic is human cloning, investigate government regulation of cloning.
• Time: Limit the time span you examine. For example, on a topic in genetics, contrast public attitudes in the 1950's versus the 1990's.
• Population group: Limit by age, sex, race, occupation, species or ethnic group. For example, on a topic in genetics, examine specific traits as they affect women over 40 years of age.
• Geographical location: A geographic analysis can provide a useful means to examine an issue. For example, if your topic concerns cloning, investigate cloning practices in Europe or the Middle East.

Broaden Your Topic

Not finding enough information? Think of related ideas, or read some background information first. You may not be finding enough information for several reasons, including:

• Your topic is too specific. Generalize what you are looking for. For example: if your topic is genetic diversity for a specific ethnic group in Ghana, Africa, broaden your topic by generalizing to all ethnic groups in Ghana or in West Africa.
• Your topic is too new for anything substantive to have been written. If you're researching a recently breaking news event, you are likely to only find information about it in the news media. Be sure to search databases that contain articles from newspapers. If you are not finding enough in the news media, consider changing your topic to one that has been covered more extensively.
• You have not checked enough databases for information. Use Vera to find other databases in your subject area which might cover the topic from a different perspective. Also, use excellent searching techniques to ensure you are getting the most out of every database.
• You are using less common words or too much jargon to describe your topic. Use a thesaurus to find other terms to represent your topic. When reading background information, note how your topic is expressed in these materials. When you find citations in an article database, see how the topic is expressed by experts in the field.
• << Previous: Find Background Information
• Next: Develop a Thesis Statement >>
• Last Updated: Jan 12, 2023 5:06 PM
• URL: https://libguides.daemen.edu/researchbasics

• Library Accounts

Research: Choosing & Refining Your Topic

• Getting Started
• Research Overview
• Choosing & Refining Your Topic
• Search Strategies
• Library Collections
• Citations & Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
• Research from Home

Choosing a Topic

Step 1: Topic Selection

Choosing your topic is one of the most important steps of your research assignment.

Explore your Research Ideas

First check the assignment requirements. Make sure you can meet those requirements with the topic you pick.

Then Ask yourself

Is my topic researchable?

What do I need to learn?

Other considerations: 

Do I know enough about my topic?

Where do I find information about my topic?

Write Down All of Your Ideas

Use one of these activities to help

Listing: List all the ideas for your research assignment. Good and Bad: write everything! Group similar words together, add ideas.

Freewriting: Write nonstop for 10 minutes. Review your writing and highlight useful information.

Clustering or Mind Map: Write a brief explanation or Ask a question. Circle main concepts. Draw three or more lines and add corresponding ideas.

Questioning: Write out: “Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?” then write your answers for each .

Topic Development

​ Step 2: Do Some Background Research

Remember this is a dynamic process so your research question and scope will adjust to the information you begin to gather.

Find & learn :

• a definition
• a statistic
• other general information on your topic

​T his is only a starting point.   You will follow-up by verifying with other credible sources and experts.

Gather information to inform your topic :

• talk to specialist, like your instructor or  TA
• explore   Subject  Guides
• do  some beginning research

  Try these databases:

North Carolina Sate University Libraries created a video to explain the importance of finding background information for your topic.

Topic Narrowing

​ Step 3: Consider the Scope of Your Topic

You want a research topic that is not too broad or too narrow, but just right. 

It may take many attempts, updates and changes. That’s part of the research process.

Finding too much information?  Your topic may be too broad and you may need to make it more specific.  Consider limiting using one or more of the following aspects:

• time period

Too Narrow?

Can't find enough information?   If you find that you can't find enough evidence for your topic, you might want to broaden it by considering:

• expanding the time period
• increasing locations
• exploring related issues
• considering historical contexts

Need clarification? Got questions? Ask Us! via chat or text.

Or make an appointment for a one-on-one research consultation .

Research Process

Get more tips about the research process in this short video created by UNLV Libraries.

Research Process Tips from UNLV Libraries on Vimeo .

• << Previous: Research Overview
• Next: Search Strategies >>
• Last Updated: Mar 19, 2024 2:28 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.unlv.edu/getstarted
• Special Collections
• Architecture Library
• Medical Library
• Music Library
• Teacher Library
• Law Library