The Sheridan Libraries

Source: https://guides.library.jhu.edu/writing/research-process/develop Parent: https://guides.library.jhu.edu/writing/research-process

Writing Resources

Writing tools, support, and tips.

Before You Start

What do you already know about your subject?\ Keep a list of key words, names, and events. \ \
How long has your subject existed? \ Is it a relatively new concept with a lot published about it, or new and undiscovered? \ \
What discipline does your topic fall into?\ A discipline is an area of study or branch of learning (e.g., History, Biology). Each has its own best starting points.\ \
How are you viewing the topic?\ Think about what you are planning to emphasize: politics, history, or another aspect?\ \
What's the Timing?\ How long do you have to do this project? How long does it need to be?

Three Approaches for Developing a Topic

Approach #1: List Key Words of Interest\ Make lists of concepts and topics you find interesting, as well as lists of related words and synonyms. These can serve as your key search terms.


Concept 1:	Concept 2:	Look For:
school choice	discrimination	synonyms?
educational choice	educational access	related terms?
open enrollment	access to education	alternate phrases?
educational vouchers	social justice	key names, events?

Approach #2: Draw It Out\ Sketch out the relationships between ideas.

Approach #3: Define it in Sentences\ Write an explanation of your topic, justifying it on multiple levels:

I am studying...* \ conformity in Woolf’s Orlando\ \ in order to find out... \ how Orlando’s efforts to conform and ﬁt in change over time\ \ in order to help my reader understand...*\ the role maturity and self-awareness play in the character’s efforts to conform to societal norms.

Adapted from The Craft of Research (2003) by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. (We also own the latest edition, 8th edition, 2016, in print.)