Unit 3: Defining a Research Topic

Lesson 1: Select a Topic


Selecting and defining a research topic is the most critical part of the research process. If your professor has not assigned a topic, or distributed a list of topics to choose from, you need to select and define your own topic.

To select a topic, you must decide which academic discipline you want to do research in. Possibilities include education, history, religion, psychology, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, literature, political science, business, art, communications, crime and law, medicine, technology, natural sciences, popular culture, and public safety.

Now think about an issue, concept, movement, person, time period, and/or event within that discipline that interests you. For example, drinking and driving is an issue within the discipline of public safety.



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