Welcome
Before you start your research, you need to create a narrow research topic or question that fits the scope of your assignment. You also need search terms that describe your topic so that you can use them to find sources for your topic. This page will help you do these things.
Narrowing Your Topics
Developing Search Terms
Developing an Expository/Informational Essay Thesis Statement
•Once you have determined your research question you will need to answer it in the form of a thesis statement.
•A thesis statement expresses the main idea of your paper.
•It should be clear, and able to be supported by the factual information you will present in the rest of your paper.
•A thesis statement for an expository/informational essay should not express an opinion or take a position on a topic, make outlandish claims, or state an argument.
EXAMPLE:
•Too much: The steam engine was invented because America is a very large country and people needed to travel long distances so they could settle the frontier and find gold in California.
•Just right: The invention of the steam engine changed the landscape of America, allowing people to travel further than they ever had before and speeding the settlement of the frontier.
Picking Your Topic IS Research
Narrowing Your Topic
Examples of Narrowing Down Your Topic
Use the last column to help you develop your research question.
Research Question=the question your paper is trying to answer
Further Topic Narrowing Help
