Before we further discuss a research topic selection, I would like to first point to the importance of the following:

• There is a big difference between a "subject area" of research interest and a "research topic."  Subject areas are quite broad and cover too much material for a meaningful research project.  A very common problem students have with research assignments is that they often select subject areas rather than specific research topics to write their paper on.  This can make the research process overwhelming, frustrating, and lacking of focus.
   
• Once you make your selection of a "subject area," the next thing you'll need to do is consider the focus of your specific topic. A good practice is to state your research topic as a question - if you can't, this may mean that you need to define and narrow down your topic further.
  
  For example: "Depression" or "Substance Abuse" are very broad subject areas. There are entire books written on both of them!  To make these topics more manageable, you will need to focus on just one aspect of them, such as:
  
  Depression --> What studies have been done on depression in men?
  Substance Abuse --> What contributes to failure in substance abuse treatment programs?     

  There are several ways to narrow your topic.

  • Limit to a particular population or age group. For example, infants, teenagers, college students, or adults.
  • Limit to a particular environment, such as schools, or geographic region
  • Limit to an ethnic background such as Asian Americans.
  • Limit by chronological era.
  • Limit by a particular theory or approach.
     
• Note that sometimes you may also end up selecting a question that is too narrow, technical, or peculiar for extensive research.  So, before you finalize, always ask yourself:
  
  can the answer to my research question be found in a single source such as an encyclopedia or statistical source?
  
  examples:
  "what are the educational qualifications for becoming a massage therapist?"
  or
  "what is the percent of women on welfare?"
   
  can the answer to my research question be a simple 'yes' or 'no'? 
  
  example:
  "is theft a punishable crime?"
  
  does my research question require information contained in highly technical journals written in language I may not understand? 
  
  example:
  "what is the scientific basis of nanotechnology?"
     
  is my research question so unusual or lacking of clear evidence (i.e., baseless) that it would be difficult to research?
  
  example:
  "did fairies ever exist?"
  
  The examples above show you how a research question can end up being too narrowly defined or difficult to research due to its inappropriate focus. Again, your job is to always try to strike a balance between a broad subject area that makes your research overwhelming and one that is difficult to research because of its limiting nature.