Narrowing a subject to a topic

Subdividing your subject by asking questions

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One way to subdivide a subject is to ask questions sparked by reading, research, class discussions, or talking to your classmates.

Subject teen pregnancy
Question Why do Waterford and Troy, neighboring cities, have different rates of teen pregnancy?

This question would give you a manageable topic for a short paper.

Restricting your purpose

Sometimes you realize that your initial goal—your draft purpose—is more than you could hope to accomplish in a brief paper.

Subject teen pregnancy
Draft purpose preventing teen pregnancy
More limited purpose showing how changing the health curriculum for sixth graders results in lower rates of teen pregnancy

Rethinking your purpose in this way would give you a manageable topic.

Restricting your audience

Consider writing for a particular audience.

Subject teen pregnancy
Audience general public
More limited audience educators; school administrators
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Addressing a specific group with a special interest is a way to make your topic more manageable.

Considering the information available to you

Look at the information you have collected. If you have gathered a great deal of information on one aspect of your subject (birth control education) and less information on other aspects (counseling for expectant teen parents), you may have found your topic.

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