This exercise provides students with a way to begin narrowing the focus of their essay, developing their thoughts about the topic, and determining possible sources of further information.

Please take some time to think through and respond to the following prompts. Consider this informal writing with the primary aim of helping you explore your thoughts, identify a provisional focus, and plan toward your research.

  1. What is it that you want to explore? Write a bit about the general topic. To help yourself consider possible angles, you might try some brain-storming strategies (See Everyday Writer 30-35.)
  2. Why are you interested in this topic? Take some time to try to explain the origin of your interest, that is, how your concern or interest has arisen. Understanding your connection can often help you focus your research project and/or guide your research. You might also discover that you are uncovering observations that you may even use in your essay.
  3. Try formulating a focusing question. If you're not sure of a focus yet, try formulating more than one. [If not sure yet, skip until after responding to the next prompt.]
  4. What do you know already and from what sources? What do you want to find out? These two questions should follow directly from your response to #2. In fact, after writing out the reason for your interest, you may have a better sense of what you want to know than when you began.
  5. Likely sources? The sources you identified in #4 might still be fruitful. Any new sources or ideas as to where to look?

You'll have a chance to consult with someone else in class regarding your initial ideas and plans. I'll also collect this writing so that I can offer you some feedback, too.