Choosing a Topic

Students in several of the Business & Technical Writing classes need to select a topic for a project proposal. This becomes the focal point for other activities during the semester, so it is imperative that students select their topics early (usually by the end of Week 3). While many students will have topic ideas in mind, others need help. This page gives suggestions that have worked for other instructors.

Use the "Things that Work" link to the left to return to the Table of Contents.

The following activity helps students think about the key concepts for the proposal: People, Problem, Paradigm, Plan, and Price.

Newspaper Exercise

Preparation

To participate in this exercise, you must read several newspapers and choose one article that could be the basis for a project proposal. The best articles will suggest a problem that you can imagine trying to address. The purpose of this exercise is not to get you to choose the topic that you will actually work on for this class (though it is possible that some of you might stumble upon your topic this way). Rather, this exercise is intended to get you to practice the process of project development. After reading the coursepack Introduction, take notes on the 5 P's of your article. This will be collected.

In Class: Form groups of four or five, and do the following:

1) Each of you, in turn, should present your article to the other group members. Describe the article and explain this might make a good project. (About 10 minutes)

2) After the individual presentations, decide, as a group, which of them would make the most interesting basis for a project. (About 5 minutes)

3) Elect a group leader. This person does not have to be the one whose article was chosen, but he or she will present your ideas to the class. (About 5 minutes)

4) Once you have elected a group leader, begin developing a project idea based upon the article and on your own general knowledge. Obviously, to develop a strong project you would have to do research, but do the best you can. Use the following questions as a guide to discussion: (About 20 minutes)

• Problem: What is the basic problem or need your project will address? Why is it a problem? How could you illustrate the extent of this problem?
  
  
• People: Who is affected by this problem? What specific population will your project serve? Who might fund your idea? Why would they fund it?
  
  
• Paradigm: What disciplines (e.g.: marketing, education, nutrition, medicine, etc.) might be useful in addressing this problem? What research would help?
  
  
• Plan: How might you address the problem you have identified? What is your plan of action? Who will carry out this plan? What resources or assistance will you need?
  
  
• Price: How much do you think your project might cost? Is the cost reasonable?

5) Present your ideas to the class and answer any questions (5 minutes for each group).

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This activity has worked many times, and students find it to be fun!

A, B, C's Activity

After spending some time talking about topics with the class during the first two classes, I hand out a sheet of paper that has the letters of the alphabet printed vertically against the left margin. Students are told to take the paper and fill in topic ideas for as many letters as possible -- Single word or short phrases only. So, next to "B", something like "Bus problems" might be listed. "E" is sure to draw the general "Environment" word which can later be talked about in more specific terms.

At the start of the next class, students are placed in groups (4 or 5, depending on class size). The members share/compare lists and compile one group list, trying to fill in any blanks they may still have. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Then, as a large group, we go letter-by-letter to bring up topics. The merits of the topics are discussed in relation to the concepts of People, Problem, Paradigm, Plan, and Price. The discussion usually has to be carried over to the next class. By then, virtually every student will have chosen a topic. It's as easy as A-B-C.

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Once everyone has chosen a topic (by the end of the third week in most of the courses), there needs to be time devoted to assessing the merits of the topics. It is very difficult for a topic to be switched once the research work starts. Eliminating problematic topics early is very important. The following peer exercise has been used effectively in several Business & Technical Writing classes.

Peer Worksheet for Reviewing Proposal Ideas

In reading and commenting on proposal ideas in your peer workgroup, consider whether each writer's proposal does all of the following:

1. Identifies with people: Does the writer have a particular reader (or funding source) in mind? Does the writer's approach seem appropriate to the reader's concerns? Should the writer imagine a different reader for the idea or find out more about the reader's concerns? Does the project address the needs of a particular population? Might the interests of the reader differ from those of the population to be served? How so?

2. Points to a problem: Does the writer demonstrate a need for this proposal? Has he or she discussed a problem that could be researched and documented? How might the writer find out more about the problem? What sources of information might be helpful? What type of evidence would help illustrate the problem better?

3. Faces complexity: Is the idea of sufficient complexity to require a detailed proposal? If not, can you suggest ways to develop the project so that it would be adequately complex? Has the writer considered all the major problems here, or is there something he or she is avoiding?

4. Suggests lines of research: Does the topic lend itself to library research (a course requirement)? What other kinds of research should the writer consider? How might the writer support his or her claims about the problem suggested by the proposal?

5. Positions the work within a paradigm: Does the writer have a definite approach to the problem or issue? How might the writer position him or herself within a discipline or field of study in approaching the topic? What disciplines might be helpful? What research might the writer pursue in developing the paradigm?

6. Demonstrates originality: Is the specific work proposed at least somewhat original? Has this idea been tried before? What could make this idea more innovative? Are there other ways of approaching the problem?

7. Stays within reach: Is the proposed idea manageable? In other words, is the scope of the proposed work something that can be done well, given the timeframe and resources? Is the student remaining within his/her reach if not his/her grasp? Is the idea focused enough in terms of population, location, or issue? Is it something that could actually get done? Can you see this student actually taking on such a project now or being able to do so within the next few years?

Please provide written and oral feedback for each person in your workgroup for each of these areas. Make this an opportunity to brainstorm and develop each other's topics.

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