16 Chapter 2 Choosing a Topic 2b-4 Topics that are trivial Your judgment must steer you away from trivial topics.The safest bet is also the most sensible one:Again,ask your instructor.Here are some topics that might strike some instructors as too trivial:"The Use of Orthopedic Braces for Dachshunds Prone to Backaches,""The Cult of Van Painting in America,""The 2b History of the Tennis Ball,""How to Get Dates When You're Divorced,"and "How to Diaper an Unruly Baby." Sometimes a topic is trivial because it is obvious.For instance,everyone agrees that walking is good aerobic exercise,but the subject is so tame that unless you're a really good writer,a paper on the subject will likely fall flat.Likewise,a paper on growing carrots in your backyard as a hedge against the possibility of a worldwide carrot shortage is not likely to inspire you to do your best writing. 2b-5 Topics that are too hot A topic that still smells of gunpowder from being hotly debated in the arena of public opinion is best avoided.There are at least two good reasons to stay away from such topics:First,it often is difficult to find unbiased sources on them;second,the information that is available usually comes from newspapers and magazines whose speculative reporting can make your documentation seem flimsy.Intellectually solid papers will reflect opinions taken from a variety of sources-books,periodicals,reference volumes,specialized indexes,and vari- ous electronic sources-which require a topic that has weathered both time and scholarly commentary. If you find yourself being drawn into a hothouse of conflicting opinions on the topic,our advice is that you abandon it for another that is less controversial. At the very least you should try to locate an equivalent topic that has withstood the test of time and write about that instead.So,for example,instead of writing about a revolutionary war that broke out yesterday in some Baltic state,in the Middle East,or in Africa,you might turn your attention to a well-documented equivalent,say,the Castro revolution in Cuba,or the revolution for independence under Bernardo O'Higgins in Chile.Instead of writing a paper on whether or not the 2009 piracy of the cargo ship Maersk off the Coast of Somalia was properly handled by the U.S.President,you could write a research paper on the Golden Age of Piracy,focusing on such fascinating characters as Edward Thatch,Thomas Austin,and other pirates in history. Search tip Let your initial search for sources help you nar- row your topic.If that search turns up a severe lack of sources-both in the library and on the Internet-consider tackling another topic.In other words,avoid any topic so rare that you have to spend all of your time chasing down sources. Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affeet the overall learning experience.Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
2b 16 Chapter 2 Choosing a Topic 2b-4 Topics that are trivial Your judgment must steer you away from trivial topics. The safest bet is also the most sensible one: Again, ask your instructor. Here are some topics that might strike some instructors as too trivial: “The Use of Orthopedic Braces for Dachshunds Prone to Backaches,” “The Cult of Van Painting in America,” “The History of the Tennis Ball,” “How to Get Dates When You’re Divorced,” and “How to Diaper an Unruly Baby.” Sometimes a topic is trivial because it is obvious. For instance, everyone agrees that walking is good aerobic exercise, but the subject is so tame that unless you’re a really good writer, a paper on the subject will likely fall fl at. Likewise, a paper on growing carrots in your backyard as a hedge against the possibility of a worldwide carrot shortage is not likely to inspire you to do your best writing. 2b-5 Topics that are too hot A topic that still smells of gunpowder from being hotly debated in the arena of public opinion is best avoided. There are at least two good reasons to stay away from such topics: First, it often is diffi cult to fi nd unbiased sources on them; second, the information that is available usually comes from newspapers and magazines whose speculative reporting can make your documentation seem fl imsy. Intellectually solid papers will refl ect opinions taken from a variety of sources—books, periodicals, reference volumes, specialized indexes, and various electronic sources—which require a topic that has weathered both time and scholarly commentary. If you fi nd yourself being drawn into a hothouse of confl icting opinions on the topic, our advice is that you abandon it for another that is less controversial. At the very least you should try to locate an equivalent topic that has withstood the test of time and write about that instead. So, for example, instead of writing about a revolutionary war that broke out yesterday in some Baltic state, in the Middle East, or in Africa, you might turn your attention to a well-documented equivalent, say, the Castro revolution in Cuba, or the revolution for independence under Bernardo O’Higgins in Chile. Instead of writing a paper on whether or not the 2009 piracy of the cargo ship Maersk off the Coast of Somalia was properly handled by the U.S. President, you could write a research paper on the Golden Age of Piracy, focusing on such fascinating characters as Edward Thatch, Thomas Austin, and other pirates in history. Let your initial search for sources help you narrow your topic. If that search turns up a severe lack of sources—both in the library and on the Internet—consider tackling another topic. In other words, avoid any topic so rare that you have to spend all of your time chasing down sources. Search tip Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
2c Narrowing the topic 17 2c Narrowing the topic No python knows the exact dimensions of its mouth,but any python instinctively knows that it cannot swallow an elephant.Experiment with your topic:Pursue one train of thought,and see where it leads.Does it yield an arguable thesis?Pare down and whittle away until you have something manageable.Bear in mind the 2c length of your paper versus the size of your topic.Most research papers are about ten pages long-some books have longer prefaces.Following are a few examples of the narrowing you will have to do. General Subject First Narrowing Second Narrowing Mythology Beowulf The oral tradition in Beowulf Migrant workers California migrant workers Major California labor laws and their impact on Mexican migrant workers Theater Theater of the Absurd Theater-of-the-Absurd elements in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? John F.Kennedy John F.Kennedy's cabinet The contribution of Averill Harriman as U.S. ambassador to Russia Russia The Bolshevik Revolution of The role of Leon Trotsky in 1917 revolutionary Russia China Chinese agriculture The effect on China of its agricultural policies during the past 10 years Indians Famous Indian fighters Major Rogers's Rangers during the Indian wars Nature's carnivores Parasites The ichneumon wasp and its parasitic hosts Educational psychology Psychological testing in The Thematic Apperception schools Test (TAT)and its present- day adaptations The first attempt at narrowing a subject usually is easier than the second, which must yield a specific topic.Use trial and error until you have a topic you like.Further narrowing may occur naturally after you are into the actual research. Remember that whatever subject you choose must be approved by your instruc- tor.So before you become too involved in narrowing the subject,be sure that its basic concept has your instructor's blessing. Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience.Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
2c 2c Narrowing the topic 17 2c Narrowing the topic No python knows the exact dimensions of its mouth, but any python instinctively knows that it cannot swallow an elephant. Experiment with your topic: Pursue one train of thought, and see where it leads. Does it yield an arguable thesis? Pare down and whittle away until you have something manageable. Bear in mind the length of your paper versus the size of your topic. Most research papers are about ten pages long—some books have longer prefaces. Following are a few examples of the narrowing you will have to do. General Subject First Narrowing Second Narrowing Mythology Beowulf The oral tradition in Beowulf Migrant workers California migrant workers Major California labor laws and their impact on Mexican migrant workers Theater Theater of the Absurd Theater-of-the-Absurd elements in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy’s cabinet The contribution of Averill Harriman as U.S. ambassador to Russia Russia The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 The role of Leon Trotsky in revolutionary Russia China Chinese agriculture The effect on China of its agricultural policies during the past 10 years Indians Famous Indian fi ghters Major Rogers’s Rangers during the Indian wars Nature’s carnivores Parasites The ichneumon wasp and its parasitic hosts Educational psychology Psychological testing in schools The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and its presentday adaptations The fi rst attempt at narrowing a subject usually is easier than the second, which must yield a specifi c topic. Use trial and error until you have a topic you like. Further narrowing may occur naturally after you are into the actual research. Remember that whatever subject you choose must be approved by your instructor. So before you become too involved in narrowing the subject, be sure that its basic concept has your instructor’s blessing. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience.Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
The peanut makes it to the big leagues. George Washington Carver The Library Born as a slave around 1864,George Washington Carver will always be identified with the peanut.He is credited with improved crop management of the peanut and with demonstrating its many varied applications and uses.Carver was bought by German farmer Moses Carver from slave traders for a racehorse worth $300.He was educated by walking nine miles a day to get to school.Graduating high school,he was rejected by several colleges because of his race,but eventually gained admittance to the Tuskegee Institute,where he continued his research into peanuts.In his lifetime,his fame was worldwide,and through his influence the peanut became the main agricultural product in Alabama.Carver died in 1943, leaving most of his fortune to the Tuskegee Institute. Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affeet the overall learning experience.Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
The peanut makes it to the big leagues. Born as a slave around 1864, George Washington Carver will always be identifi ed with the peanut. He is credited with improved crop management of the peanut and with demonstrating its many varied applications and uses. Carver was bought by German farmer Moses Carver from slave traders for a racehorse worth $300. He was educated by walking nine miles a day to get to school. Graduating high school, he was rejected by several colleges because of his race, but eventually gained admittance to the Tuskegee Institute, where he continued his research into peanuts. In his lifetime, his fame was worldwide, and through his infl uence the peanut became the main agricultural product in Alabama. Carver died in 1943, leaving most of his fortune to the Tuskegee Institute. © Associated Press 3 The Library George Washington Carver Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
3 The Library 3a Layout of the library 3b Organization of the library collections FAQ 1.How are books classified in a 4.Are any databases available library?See 3b. without a fee?See 3a-2. 2.Where have all the index cards 5.What are stacks?See 3a-4. gone?See 3a. 3.What are PACs and OPACs? See 3a-1. Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affeet the overall learning experience.Cengage Leaming reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
3 The Library 3a Layout of the library 3b Organization of the library collections FAQ 1. How are books classifi ed in a library? See 3b. 2. Where have all the index cards gone? See 3a. 3. What are PACs and OPACs? See 3a-1. 4. Are any databases available without a fee? See 3a-2. 5. What are stacks? See 3a-4. 3 The Library Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it