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Choose a subject to analyze.

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When choosing a subject for a causal analysis, keep in mind that it must be

one that you can show exists (such as with examples or statistics);
one that has no definitive, proven cause;
one that you can research, as necessary, in the time you have;
one that will puzzle—or at least interest—you and your readers.

You may already have a subject in mind and a clear idea of the causes you want to discuss. If so, turn to Test Your Choice (p. 437). If you do not, the subjects that follow, in addition to those following the readings (pp. 421, 426, and 432), may suggest a cause you can analyze effectively:

Subjects Related to School

Why do some parents choose to homeschool their children, send their children to private instead of public schools, or oppose or advocate for publishing teacher evaluations?
What are the most or the least popular majors among undergraduates at your college? Why do you think these fields are so popular or unpopular?
Why did a recent surprising or controversial event happen at your college, such as the closing of the tutoring center or the firing of a coach or popular teacher?

Subjects Related to Your Community

Why has hooking up replaced dating, or living together replaced getting married, for many young people?
Why are people more or less politically active nowadays—for example, voting; working for candidates; blogging; or joining Occupy, Tea Party, or other movements?
Why are people embracing or abandoning social media, getting or removing tattoos or body piercings, or becoming vegetarians or giving up vegetarianism?

Subjects Related to Work

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Why is collaborating with others or being able to communicate clearly in writing especially valuable in the workplace today?
Why is the attitude that one should “work to live” more prevalent among young people than the attitude that one should “live to work”?
Why do employees choose to join or not join a union, or why have so many state legislatures passed so-called right-to-work laws?

Writers often find it helpful to consider several possibilities before choosing a subject. Making a chart listing subjects that interest you and their possible causes can help you decide which subject is most promising.

Subject	Possible Causes
Example: What causes bullies?	Putting down others makes them feel powerful.
	They are mean.
	They are performing for their friends.
	They are sociopaths without empathy for others.
Example: Why do students often procrastinate in writing papers or studying for exams?	They have better things to do.They are lazy.They are actually using time efficiently.

As you plan and draft your causal analysis, you may need to reconsider your choice of subject (for example, if you cannot find evidence to support the causes you think are most plausible). If you have serious doubts about your choice, discuss them with your instructor before starting over with a new subject.

TEST YOUR CHOICE

After you have made a provisional choice, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I know enough about the subject, or can I learn enough in the time I have?
Do I know what causes readers would be likely to think of, and do I have any ideas about what causes might surprise and interest them?

To try out your subject and learn what other people think caused it, get together with two or three other students:

Presenters. Take turns describing your subject.

Listeners. Briefly tell each presenter what you think is a likely cause and why you think so.

Research Note

As you begin exploring the subject and its possible causes, you may discover that you need to conduct research before you can go further. If so, skip ahead to the Conduct Research section (p. 440), and return to the activities here later on in the writing process. Alternatively, you may be able simply to make a Research To Do list for later.