TAGBILARAN CITY COLLEGE

College of Business and Industry

Tagbilaran City, Bohol
Vision: A stable and vibrant learning institution molding the youth into professionals and skilled workers who are competent and ready for employment.
Mission: To provide equal access to quality education and vocation training to Boholanos.

Lozein J. Lapuz, LPT

Course Code ENGL2 Instructor
Cherry Mae D. Labrador, LPT
llapuz.tcc@gmail.com
Course Title Writing in the Discipline E-mail Address
cmlabrador.tcc@gmail.com
Contact 0909 – 202 – 1355
Course Credits 3 units
Number 0917 – 163 - 8283
Course Consultation
General Course TTh 2:35-3:35pm
Classification Hours
Consultation
Pre-requisite(s) ENGL1 Faculty Office
Venue

Learning Module 4: Selecting a Topic

Duration of Delivery: March 5-8, 2024
Due Date of Deliverables: March 8, 2024

Selecting a Topic

Lesson 4
Intended Learning Outcomes:

a. Determine the strategies in generating ideas.

b. Apply strategies in selecting a topic.
c. Use inverted pyramid in refining a focus for research.
d. Evaluate a research topic.
e. Select a topic appropriate for a research assignment.
f. Use any strategy in identifying a pressing problem in a community.

INPUT
Selecting a research topic can be daunting task because it must be an informed choice, which is very crucial especially
top students. However, it can be easy because any topic will serve your purpose depending on your interest; usefulness,
value/impact, and relevance of the topic; availability of resources; and most importantly, your ability to write about it and
finish it within a given time. You may consider the following questions in choosing an appropriate topic for research:

1. Am I really interested in the topic? Is it useful to my field of interest?

2. Is it relevant? Will it impact me, others, or the society? Will it benefit my target audience?
3. Are the sources available and accessible?
4. Will there be enough time to write about it?

STRATEGIES IN GENERATING IDEAS FOR A RESEARCH TOPIC

 Using a Personal Experience. This refers to the use of your own personal stories, particularly your experiences,
your advocacies, and your cultural background, among others in your academic studies.
 Discussing with Family Members, Friends, or Teachers. This refers to finding a subject by talking or having a
conversations and discourses with your parents, siblings, relatives, friends, or teachers.
 Freewriting. This refers to writing continuously without given attention to grammar style, coherence, punctuation
marks, or even penmanship. The purpose of this is to free yourself from a “writer’s block” (a common condition
when writers cannot think what to write about).
 Listing. This refers to listing down key terms related to your interest of study.
  Webbing or Clustering. This refers to creating a web or cluster of ideas around a primary idea.

You can start with writing one topic in mind at the center of the paper. Then, generate a multitude of ideas related to the
topic.

 Asking Questions. This refers to asking How effective is the online voting system?
questions focusing attention on the main idea or
the main issue related to the topic that you want
to work on. e. Pork barrel
The topics in your mind may be as follows: Why should Pork Barrel be abolished?
a. Biodiversity What are the benefits of pork barrel to the
b. Foreign policy people?

c. Ethnic conflict f. Traffic Management

d. Voting system What are the improvements in traffic

management in the Philippines?
e. Pork barrel
*Note that by asking questions on a working topic, you
f. traffic management can determine a key issue worthy of research. Likewise,
Questions that may be asked for each topic can be as answering these questions can lead you to constructing
follows: a preliminary thesis statement.

a. Biodiversity

What are the existing policies that protect SOME TOPICS TO AVOID
biodiversity? 1. Too broad (e.g., parliamentary system (what
How do these policies respond to the issues on about it? What is your foucs?)
biodiversity? 2. Explanation of a process (e.g., ways of
What are the malpractices of fisher-folks that protecting a student from bullying)
affect biodiversity? 3. Biography or autobiography (e.g., PNoy and his
b. Foreign policy journey to Philippine Presidency)

How does the foreign policy on economic 4. Trivial (e.g., A comparison of Mickey Mouse and
relations impact the relationship of the Philippines with Donald Duck)
the ASEAN members? 5. Questions on morality and religion (e.g., Does
how effective is the foreign policy on trade and God exist?)
industry in Southeast Asia? 6. Worn-out (e.g., Effects of Marijuana on Mental
c. Ethnic groups Health)

What kind of support does the ethnic groups 7. Too little information (Note: Always consider the
receive from the Philippines government? availability of resources in your library)

What are the changes in the literacy level of

Aetas in Olongapo after the implementation of training
programs?

d. Voting system

STRATEGIES OF NARROWING DOWN A GENERAL TOPIC

Once you have decided on your general topic, you need

to narrow it down into a more specific and focuses one. You can
still use the aforementioned strategies in generating ideas for a
working topic when you narrow down your topic. However, the most common strategy in refining the focus of your general
topic can be done through the inverted pyramid.

General Topic: Political Dynasty

Political Dynasty in the Philippines

Political Dynasty in the Philippines

and its Effects
Political Dynasty in the Philippines
and its Effects on the Political
System
Specific Topics: Effects of Political
Dynasty on the Political System in
Makati City
In using the inverted pyramid as a strategy in narrowing down
your topic, you must first write your general topic on the
topmost part. Then, continue writing downwards the pyramid
by focusing on what you specifically want to write about your
topic as you get to the base of the pyramid.

Source:
Barrot, J. & Sipacio, PJ. (2018). Purposive Communication in the 21st Century. C & E Publishing Inc.