1. Narrowing Your Topic

2. Think about your message… In your paper… WHAT are you going to SAY about your topic? or What QUESTIONS are you going to ANSWER about your topic?

3. And how are you going to do it… in just (how many ) pages?

4. Narrowing Strategy 1: Aspect Focus on a particular ASPECT of the topic: Not: Free trade But: Environmental impact of free trade Free Trade CulturalEthicalEnvironmentalHistoricalPolitical

5. Narrowing Strategy 2: Time Focus on your topic during a particular TIME PERIOD Free Trade between 1990 and 2000

6. Narrowing Strategy 3: Type Focus on a specific TYPE or CLASS of people, institutions, or other things as they relate to your topic Free trade in the IT industry

7. Narrowing Strategy 4: Place Focus on a particular PLACE Free trade with Asia

8. Free TradeCommunism Narrowing Strategy 5: Add Two Topics Focus on the relationship between TWO DIFFERENT TOPICS Free trade and communism

9. Now, a really big tip: COMBINE different kinds of focuses: The relationship between free trade agreements made between 1990-2000 with communist countries in Asia and the US steel industry’s compliance with environmental protection laws Free Trade Environmental aspects Communism Steel Industry Asia 1990-2000

10. Ok, maybe that’s going too far… Are you really going to find enough information about how free trade agreements made between 1990-2000 with communist countries in Asia have impacted the US steel industry’s compliance with environmental protection laws? (Maybe not)

11. But how about this… What can you SAY about… Changes in the US steel industry as a result of recent free trade agreements with China What QUESTIONS could you try to ANSWER about … The impact of recent free trade agreements on US environmental law

12. A Review of Narrowing Strategies: Narrow your topic by focusing on: Aspect Time Type Place Its relationship with a second topic A combination of two or more of the above