Choosing the topic for your essay

Choosing the right essay topic is one of the most important elements of your essay writing process. Since it is at the very beginning of the writing process, it is important to pay considerable attention to this task. This is because; rest of the essay writing is dependent on the choice you make in this point.

During the process of my distance MBA studies, inmost cases, the process of the essay topic selection took me the same time, if not longer, than the essay preparation itself. In several cases, I had to abandon the topic, I have chosen earlier, as my initial selection process failed to cover all the necessary aspects at first.

Sometimes, your job as the essay writer is made easy when your professor provides you with a list of options or a specific topic. But in certain instances, you will be left alone with this task. You should approach it with a very enthusiastic and with “out-of-the-box” thinking so that you can think up few innovative and interesting essay topics which are not commonly written upon.

Depending on the essay type, the topic you will choose will vary. For example, for an argumentative essay, you must select a controversial essay topic that is currently being debated hotly. But for an informative essay, you may choose a scientific choice or a new technology topic so that you can impart some worthwhile information on the new developments and technological breakthroughs in these filed.

If you can think of at least a few topics that would be appropriate, you must simply consider each one individually. Think about how you feel about that topic. If you must educate, be sure it is a subject about which you are particularly well-informed. If you must persuade, be sure it is a subject about which you are at least moderately passionate. Of course, the most important factor in choosing a topic is the number of ideas you have about that topic.

Even if none of the subjects you thought of seem particularly appealing, try just choosing one to work with. It may turn out to be a better topic than you at first thought.

Before you are ready to move on in the essay-writing process, look one more time at the topic you have selected. Think about the type of paper you are expected to produce.

Should it be a general overview, or a specific analysis of the topic? If it should be an overview, then you are probably ready to move to the next step. If it should be a specific analysis, make sure your topic is fairly specific. If it is too general, you must choose a narrower subtopic to discuss.

There are some criteria which you should apply in to your topic selection. Some of these include:

1. The topic should be interesting to both reader and writer.

2. It should be relevant to the assignment area.

3. The scope of the topic matters and directly relates with the essay length. Don’t choose too broad topics for short essays and too narrow topics for a lengthy essay.

4. Availability of good research material to back up your ideas is essential. This should be considered when you choose your topic.

5. Unless you are ready for particularly challenging assignment, try to avoid choosing too sensitive topic of discussion as it will be difficult to research and write on it.

6. The type of essay and your topic should be in alignment.

7. The topic should be different and creative so that it makes a person absorbed to what you have written.

Once you have come up with some general idea, you should narrow the subject. It will you reduce the time spent on writing your paper as well as enormously improve its quality.

First, you should think how you can narrow your topic, make it more specific, divide it one several smaller topics. For example, if you would like to write an article on "cats", you might ask several question s on this topic, such as:

The cats

• Should I describe some specific specimen of cats, or the description of cats in general would be sufficient?

• What type of cats I would like to write about? Abyssinian? Oriental? Siberian?

• What qualities of cats should be investigated and what types of their behavior should be accessed?

• Second, there is a contradiction: though the topic should be limited, do not overdo it.

• An extremely narrowed topic can not make effective and efficient presentation.

• Your topic may be organized as the following:

• The subject investigated: The cats.

• The specific topic of the investigation:

• Problems with the basic health care for cats.



Sources and Additional Information:
http://www.bestessaytips.com/topic.php
http://customessayblog.com/essay-writing/choosing-an-essay-topic-needs-considerable-brainstorming/858
http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/topic.html