I met with my professor to discuss my essay topic and she gave me a framework that actually makes sense. She said a good topic should be:
For my history paper, I started with "women in the 1920s" (too broad). Then "flappers in the 1920s" (still broad). Then "how flapper culture was portrayed in Mississippi newspapers vs. national magazines" — specific, researchable, and actually interesting to me!
The guide also suggests "mining your textbooks" — look at the footnotes and see what sources the authors cite . Those are often key texts in the field and can lead you to more sources.
Another tip: "think about what puzzles you" . What didn't make sense in class? What contradicted what you thought you knew? Those questions often make the best topics.
For students who've written papers they actually enjoyed: how did you find your topic? What made it work?
- Specific enough to cover in your page limit — not "World War II" but "how propaganda posters in Mississippi recruited Black soldiers during WWII"
- Interesting to YOU — because you'll be spending weeks on it
- Researchable — enough sources available
- Arguable — not just facts, but something you can take a position on
For my history paper, I started with "women in the 1920s" (too broad). Then "flappers in the 1920s" (still broad). Then "how flapper culture was portrayed in Mississippi newspapers vs. national magazines" — specific, researchable, and actually interesting to me!
The guide also suggests "mining your textbooks" — look at the footnotes and see what sources the authors cite . Those are often key texts in the field and can lead you to more sources.
Another tip: "think about what puzzles you" . What didn't make sense in class? What contradicted what you thought you knew? Those questions often make the best topics.
For students who've written papers they actually enjoyed: how did you find your topic? What made it work?
