Research for the research

As you narrow a topic down and start to decide what your topic is, you need to make sure the topic is a good enough topic for the paper or essay. Is the topic easy enough to write about(not too broad or too narrow) and can you research the topic? A topic can not be too broad because the research done maybe of no use. If a topic is too narrow then there may not be enough research done. Here are a few steps to help with finding out if a topic is searchable.

1. Put in keyword combinations from the previous exercise into Google. Then try two different search engines( Bing.com, Ask.com) See what you come up with.

2. Next search on a metasearch engine(Dogpile.com, Search.com)

3. Finally visit Noodletools.com and click on "Choose the Best Search." Scroll down to search engine and search the keywords.

Decisions decisions decisions

For outside readers who are not in college of Mrs. Byxbe's English class, I am doing this blog to help my to do an awesome job on my final essay. This entry is about how to see if you have a good topic for my/your essay.

Topic: D-Day
1. Inquiry question: What happened during D-Day?

2. Explore: Additional questions that may help discover answers to my research question- How many men landed on the shore? What generals were on shore?
    Argue: Theory or hypothesis about your topic are you testing? What is your tentative main claim or thesis?-I am not exactly sure at this time because I am still figuring this out.

3. What, if any, prior beliefs, assumptions, preconceptions, ideas, or prejudices do you bring to this project? Personal ideas?- D-Day was more of a land grab then winning of the war.

Your Topic of Choice

Haven't you ever had trouble figuring out an essay topic? For those not in college anymore, back in the day, didn't you have trouble? I know I have and am for the next essay I have to write for English class. The following steps are too help me and maybe you figure out a topic.

Step 1: Define three columns with the words below-

PEOPLE: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, James Buchanan, Henry Ford, Ronald Regan

HISTORY: WW1, WW11, September 11, Civil War, Revolutionary War, Korean War

TECHNOLOGIES: Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Vizio, HP, Samsung

Step 2: Review your lists. Look for a single item in any column that seems promising. Highlight the item.

Step 3: Make a list of questions-as many as you can- that you'd love to explore about the subject-

• D-Day
• Pacific War
• Pearl Harbor
• Japanese Segregation
• Battle of the Bulge
• Concentration Camps
• Eastern Border
• POW Camps

Exercise #1

Step 1-
True- You have to know your thesis before you start: A thesis sets up your whole essay or paper. The thesis explains what topics you are going to be writing about in the essay or paper. You have to know your thesis because you have to know what you are going to be writing about in the essay or paper. The thesis also wraps up your paper. So the thesis is a huge important part of the essay or paper.

False-You're writing mostly for the instructor: The paper or essay is for the intended audience and the audience of the opposing view. Yes the essay or paper will be turned into the instructor but you are not writing just to them. The essay or paper should be respectful to any audience who may read the paper or essay.

Step 2-
True- There is a big difference between facts and opinions: Facts are things that have been proven in everyday life. Facts are things that everybody agrees on; from experts to common people. Research has been done, numerous experiments have been done and has been proven to be true. Opinions are things that only a select few believe or think. Opinions are things that have not been proven; just things that could potentially be true or false.