2. Focusing Your Topic

Once you've chosen your topic, you may find that you need to narrow or broaden it.

After you start searching library catalogs, databases, and the Web, you may find that you're getting tens of thousands of search results, or you may find that you're only getting a few.

If you find that you're getting too many search results, you will need to narrow your search.
	If you find that you're not getting enough search results, you will need to broaden your search.

In order to make more efficient use of your time at the library, you should think about ways to narrow or broaden your topic even before you begin searching.

Refining a topic is an ongoing process.
Your focus might change with your increased knowledge of the subject.

Narrowing Your Topic

Identify subcategories of your topic but keep a focus on your original idea.

Explore the subject headings related to your topic in databases and by using "subject keyword" searches in the Library Catalog to narrow your search results down to a manageable number of results.

You can also limit your topic to:

• a specific time period
  
• a geographical area
  
• specific people or interest groups

Broadening Your Topic

Look at areas that are related to your topic.

Explore the subject headings related to your topic in databases and by using "subject keyword" searches in the Library Catalog to find broader, related, or alternate terms related to your topic that will retrieve more results for you.   

You can also broaden your topic by:

• relating it to other topics or disciplines
• covering its history and development
• covering diverse points of view about your topic

Additional resources for refining a topic:

Expanding and Narrowing a Topic during Research
from the Carnegie Vincent Library of Lincoln Memorial University

How to Narrow or Broaden Your Topic from the UCLA College Library

Refining a Topic from the Libraries of Duke University