Sometimes you will find that your topic is too narrow - there is not enough published on your topic. When this happens, you can try to broaden your topic. There are a couple of strategies you can try when broadening your topic.
One strategy is to choose less specific terms for your search, e.g., standardized tests instead of SATs, or performance-enhancing drugs instead of anabolic steroids.
Another strategy is to broaden your topic by changing or removing limits or filters from your topic:
- Who - population or group (e.g., instead of college students, choose a broader section of the population)
- What - discipline or focus (e.g., instead of choosing a sociological perspective, look at a number of perspectives)
- Where - geographic location (e.g., instead of Michigan, choose United States)
- When - time period or era (e.g., instead of 1984, choose 1980s or 20th century)
For example, a paper about alcohol use by college students at the University of Michigan in 1984 might be too narrow of a focus. But a paper about alcohol use by college students in the 1980s might be just right.