This document provides guidance on how to narrow down a topic for a senior project. It discusses developing a central question by brainstorming the parts of the topic and how they relate. Examples are provided for the topic of vegans. Readers are prompted to write their own questions about the subparts and larger systems related to their topic. The document also discusses categorizing a topic, comparing it to similar topics, and how a topic may have changed over time as part of a larger history. It encourages speculative and evaluative questions and provides criteria for what makes a good question. Overall, the document aims to help readers focus their broad topic by identifying specific aspects and angles to explore.
6. What are the parts of your topic, and
how do they relate to one another?
Topic
7. What are the parts of your topic, and
how do they relate to one another?
Food People
Vegan
Politics Health
8. Topic: Vegans
Are there different kinds of vegans?
How much variety is in the vegan diet?
What clothing restrictions do vegans have?
Are animal products used in other things besides food and clothing?
How political is the vegan movement?
Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health?
Do vegans own pets?
Are vegans happier? healthier?
9. Now, your turn...
What are the parts of your topic, and
how do they relate to one another?
Topic
Write 10 questions on the sub parts of your topic
10. How is your topic part of a larger system?
Topic
11. How is your topic part of a larger system?
Vegan
Health
Animal Rights
Food Production
Vegetarianism
12. Topic: Vegans
What contributes to people living longer: better health or better
medicine?
Are humans meant to be carnivores?
Do animals have personalities?
Do animals have a soul?
What influences our food choices?
Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population?
Is it better to be vegetarian or vegan?
Are cows treated better in India than in the U.S.?
13. Now, your turn...
How is your topic part of a larger system?
Topic
Write 10 questions on the larger systems your topic is a
part of.
15. Topic: Vegans
Vegans by choice
Vegans by necessity
Child-Teen vegans
Vegan athletes
Indian vegans
Celebrity vegans
Political vegans
Vegan ranchers
Vegan chefs
16. How does your topic compare to and contrast with others
like it?
17. Topic: Vegans
Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles?
How do Indian vegans compare to vegans in the U.S.?
How are the reasons people choose veganism similar or different?
Are all animal rights activists vegan?
Do teen vegans do better in school?
Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children?
How do vegan athletes compare with non-vegan athletes?
Are you considered vegan if your food allergies force you to eat a
vegan diet?
18. Now, your turn...
How can your topic be grouped into kinds?
Topic
Type 1:____________
Type 2:____________
Type 3:____________
Type 4:____________
Type 5:____________
Type 6:____________
Write 10 questions comparing and contrasting these
different types
19. How and why has your topic changed through time, as
something with its own history?
Topic before Topic before Topic now
1983 1988 1990 1994 1998
20. Topic: Vegans
How has the number of vegans changed over time?
Is veganism a trend that will disappear soon?
Have vegans become more or less political over time?
Have the reasons people choose to become vegan changed?
What historical figures made people aware of veganism?
Were vegans always linked to the animal rights movement?
21. Now, your turn...
How and why has your topic changed through time, as
something with its own history?
Topic before Topic before Topic now
Write 10 questions on how your topic has changed over
time
22. How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history?
Feminism or
Pop Music or
Fashion
1920 1940 1960 1980 2008
23. Topic: Vegans
How has our food supply changed over time?
Has the change in food production affected our diet choices?
Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans?
Have we become kinder or crueler to animals over time?
How have restaurants or cafeterias changed as a result of the
vegan movement?
24. Now, your turn...
How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history?
1920 1940 1960 1980 2008
Topic
Write 10 questions on the larger history your topic is
connected to
25. How good or bad is your topic? Is it useful?
Bad Good
26. How good or bad is your topic? Is it useful?
Bad Good
27. Topic: Vegans
Is a vegan diet safe for kids?
Are vegans more ethical than carnivores?
Do vegans deny their own animal instincts?
If animals kill and eat each other, why shouldn’t we?
Is there a way to eat an animal and feel good about it?
Are vegans forcing their lifestyle on others?
Is it possible to live without consuming animal products?
Don’t we need to control the animal population?
28. Now, your turn...
Evaluate your topic: What do you like and not like about it?
Bad Good
Don’t like about topic Like about topic
Write 10 questions evaluating the pros and cons of your
topic
30. Topic: Vegans
What if McDonalds only sold vegan food?
What if every school had a working farm?
If everyone had to slaughter their own animals, would more people
be vegan?
Would cows overpopulate the earth if everyone were vegan?
Would animals eat us if we didn’t eat them?
What if fruits and vegetables were subsidized by the government?
33. A question is good if:
You don’t already know the answer
There are multiple legitimate answers
The answer feels relevant and important
34. Most Interesting Questions
Are humans meant to be carnivores?
Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles?
Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population?
Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health?
Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children?
Have vegans become more or less political over time?
Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans?
Do vegans deny their own animal instincts?
Don’t we need to control the animal population?
What if every school had a working farm?
35. Most Interesting Questions
Are humans meant to be carnivores?
Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles?
Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population?
Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health?
Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children?
Have vegans become more or less political over time?
Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans?
Do vegans deny their own animal instincts?
Don’t we need to control the animal population?
What if every school had a working farm?
36. Key Words Will Help Your Research!
Are humans meant to be carnivores?
Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles?
Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population?
Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health?
Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children?
Have vegans become more or less political over time?
Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans?
Do vegans deny their own animal instincts?
Don’t we need to control the animal population?
What if every school had a working farm?
37. Key Words Will Help Your Research!
Broad!
Are humans meant to be carnivores?
Are vegan diets more lots of hits than vegan lifestyles?
popular
Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population?
Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health?
Narrow!
Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children?
Fewer hits
Have vegans become more or less political over time?
Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans?
Do vegans deny their own animal instincts?
Don’t we need to control the animal population?
What if every school had a working farm?
38. Your group task:
Select THE question that feels most
important to answer
Use the They Say, I Say sentence stems
to explain why the answer is important
to know
39. Although X may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in
terms of today’s concern over______
Ultimately, what is at stake here is_____
These findings have important implications for the
broader domain of______
If we are right about_____, then major
consequences follow for______
These conclusions/This discovery will have significant
applications in _____ as well as in _____
Although X may seem of concern to only a small group of
____, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about ____