FINDING TOPICS TO ARGUE

In your immediate vicinity, look at

1. Your campus newspaper
2. Billboards and bulletin boards
3. Class assignments and readings
4. The books you read for pleasure

In the larger world, pay attention to

1. Debates and discussions in your workplace
2. Radio and television talk shows
3. Internet listservs, newsgroups, and discussion groups
4. Newspaper headlines and magazine articles

DEVELOPING ARGUMENTATIVE TOPICS

Getting Started

• Brainstorming – Write down as many ideas as you can about your subject without stopping to reject any or to choose among them. You'll find that one idea will lead to another.
• Clustering – Using the model that appears in your text, choose a key word or phrase and write down ideas, phrases, or short sentences that relate to your key word. Your object is to create a complex network of ideas that will help you to explore your subject.
• Freewriting – Write freely, and without stopping, whatever ideas you have about your subject. Don't worry about punctuation, grammar, or sentence structure.
• Asking Questions – Make a list of the questions you have about your subject.
• Engaging in Dialogue with Others – Brainstorm with others; interview your classmates, families, and friends; participate in group discussions in your classes; share ideas electronically with others through Internet chat rooms, e-mail, or listservs.

Refining Topics

• Narrow Your Topic – Don't choose a subject that is too broad. The more you narrow your topic, the more you restrict your research and tighten the focus of your paper.
• Avoid Over-Specialized Topics – Don't choose a topic that requires extensive specialized knowledge.
• Formulate a Working Claim – Create a statement of your position on your topic that can be temporarily used to organize and focus your research.

Copyright © 1995-2010, Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Longman Legal and Privacy Terms