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HIS 499: Gender, Sex, and Family in U.S. History

A senior seminar for history majors course research guide - Dr. Amy Taylor

Topic Development

Developing your topic is one of the most important steps in your research process. If your topic is too broad, too narrow, or can't be done in your given timeframe, then it is going to be tough going and you'll be less likely to be successful in your research.

There are three main steps to developing your topic and central research question(s):

  • Choosing your topic
  • Narrowing your topic
  • Question formulation