Brainstorming for a Research
Topic
2013
Your research paper must
have an argument


Therefore, your topic must be open
ended and malleable to form yes or no
questions.
Eventually you will narrow this topic
into a nice essential question—always
keep this in mind as you are
brainstorming.
There are 3 categories that
are successful



Career interest
Hobby interest
Social issues
Career interest

Make a list…

List at least 3 careers that you might be
interested in and for each career, in 1-2
sentences explain what you find
fascinating about that career.
Career List

https://www1.cfnc.org/ExternalScripts//
Career_Center/default.asp
Career Interest

REMEMBER: your paper must be
argumentative so this won’t just be a
report of “facts” about that career. You
must come up with an idea about
something specific and controversial
within that career.
Example

Anthropology & linguistics:


Many anthropologists develop strong linguistic
skills to aid their study of human cultures.
Anthropologists with linguistics degrees can
quickly decode writing and other artifacts from
ancient cultures. They can also discern the
distinctions between regional dialects when
studying modern societies.
Ask yourself: what can I research that has
two sides to an issue surrounding this
career?
Sample EQ

How does developing skills in linguistic
science help one decode artifacts in
ancient cultures?
Brainstorm
Editor
Hobby Interest

List at least three hobbies you have or
would be interested in knowing more
about. These can be…





Sports
Arts
Crafts
Skills
Entertainment
Hobby Interest

REMEMBER: your paper must be
argumentative so this won’t just be a
report of “facts” about that hobby. You
must come up with an idea about
something specific and controversial
within that hobby.
Example 2

Wakeboarding:
Sample EQ

Does the very nature of extreme sports
discourage women participants
Brainstorm: List at least 3 issues
associated with the hobby
Ballet
Negative Male
image
Prestige in
“traditional cultures”
Usage in sports
Social issues

List at least three controversial social
issues. Then, list 3 arguments and 3
counterarguments for each issue in a
T chart
Topics I will not allow…
1.Abortion
2.Legalizing Marijuana (or
other drugs)
3.Lowering the drinking age
4.Gay marriage
Devaluation of elderly



Increased
euthanasia
Increase in nursing
home occupants
and negative
conditions in
nursing homes
Decreased gov’t
funding for elderly



Still taught to
respect our elders
Increase in nursing
homes equals an
increase in value
for wellbeing
Movies/entertainme
nt still celebrate
ideas of elderly as
wise
Persuasive Speech Topics

If you want to use your persuasive
speech topic

YOU MAY

However, remember that this paper
has a more FORMAL tone that the
speech, so keep that in mind.