Focus Your Topic

A good topic has enough information available to be broken down into subtopics. Subtopics will help you ensure your research project is well-developed and thorough. Subtopics depend on what kind of topic you will be studying:

Person: Early Life, Education, Accomplishments
Place: History, Location, Leaders, Government, People, Economy
Animal: Characteristics, Habitat, Life Cycle

Types of Questions

There are two kinds of questions we ask when researching: thick questions and thin questions. Both types are important.

Thin Questions	Thick Questions
Can be answered with: Yes or No Short Answers Facts	Can be answered with: Detailed Information Interesting Ideas Leads to Other Questions
Examples: When did World War II begin? What countries were involved in World War II? Where did World War II take place?	Examples: What were the main causes of World War II? Why did America become involved in World War II?

Focus Your Topic

Types of Questions

Thin Questions

Thick Questions