When you think about the field of science, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. After all, scientists study everything in the world—and out of this world, too. For this reason, finding a scientific research topic might seem difficult.
One way to select a research topic is to start broad and narrow the topic down until you have some questions you can answer through research. To learn how to do this, study the slides below.
That’s What I Like
The best place to start when looking for a research question is with yourself. Possible questions to ask include: What scientific ideas, questions, or fields of study interest me? What kinds of scientific articles do I like to read? If I could watch a documentary on any science topic, what would it be about?
Narrow It Down
The next step is to take a broad topic and narrow it down to a specific topic. For example, suppose you enjoy reading about new developments in the field of medicine. Obviously, that topic is much too broad for a paper, so your next step is to consider what kinds of developments interest you most. For example, you could focus on new ways mushrooms are being used to treat diseases like cancer.
Background Reading
Finding additional information about your topic can help you ask better questions. Reading online articles or watching videos about a topic are good ways to learn more. You should also plan to take notes about aspects of your topics that interest you the most, questions you have, and any other information that you find important.
Get Graphic
Now that you have some background information about your topic, the next step is to decide exactly what you want to know about the topic. A graphic organizer can be very helpful at this stage. This graphic organizer shows one student’s ideas for studying the amazing new science about mushrooms.
Question Everything
Once you have a list of subtopics, start writing questions. Try to turn each topic into a question that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no—in other words, a question that you’ll need to answer through research. If you get stuck, try asking questions that begin with who, what, when, where, why, how, and to what extent.
When you have a long list of questions, consider which ones can be combined to create a good research question. (Remember, a good research question will result in answers that will fit the assignment you were given.) Here are some possible research questions about mushrooms:
Do you understand the beginning of the research process really well now? See if you can place the steps for finding a research topic in the correct order, using the activity below. Drag the steps into their correct spots, and then check your work. Keep trying until you get them ordered up correctly.
Ask yourself questions to determine what topics interest you.
Narrow down one topic to focus on one concept, idea, discovery, or theory.
Conduct background research as you take notes about your interests.
Use a graphic organizer or a list to identify ideas about one specific topic.
Generate research questions to guide your search for information.
