What makes a "good" topic?
Different people may have different ideas about what makes a good topic. Your
instructor may want you to tackle a research area currently in the news. You may
prefer to explore historical events. Your friends may be interested in writing
on controversial issues. You may want to avoid these altogether. Of course, your
instructor may assign topics and not give you much choice at all!
In general, a good topic may address these practical issues:
- Does it fit the requirements for the paper or assignment? It's
always wise to get your instructor's approval before you spend a lot of time
on something that won't be acceptable.
- Are there enough resources available on the topic? This question
especially applies to projects requiring library research. Are there enough
books, articles, Internet documents? In your final paper, it's estimated that
you will only use 25% of the research materials you have gathered.
- Is it topic that has potential significance? Will your paper
answer the question "so what?"
- Are you interested in the topic? If you have a choice, find a
subject that interests you. It's hard to get motivated if you don't care about
what you are doing. Think about choosing a topic that will help you gain
expertise in an area that will be useful in the future.