Narrowing Down Your Interests

Finding a topic for your research project can be frustrating and challenging. It’s normal to change your topic several times or realize that the topic you are interested in may not have enough support to move forward. Failure is inevitable, and it is often embraced and encouraged.    

To narrow down a particular subject of interest, you can start by looking for any recurring themes/topics in your notes or stored in your head. Write these down. 

Once you have a solid list of ideas, narrow it down to three choices. Try to see if any topics can be combined.  

Trying to narrow topics down can be tricky since they all may seem like good ideas. To help you decide, consider your skills and areas where you have a good sense of knowledge. However, keep in mind that there is no “easy route.” Research will be complex whether you’re heavily informed on your topic or not.  

Once you have your list of three choices, it’s time to make a decision.