Topics can be narrow or broad. However, narrow topics are generally easier to research and produce better, more fully developed research projects. In determining how narrow or broad your topic should be, you need to consider all of the requirements of your assignment, as well as the availability of resources.

The number of available relevant sources of information is one indication that your topic is too narrow, too broad or just right. If your initial research identifies 50-60 relevant items on your topic and you are writing a 10-page paper, you should consider narrowing your topic. Conversely, if your initial research identifies only one or two really relevant items, then you should consider broadening your topic.

To be done well most research projects, except very short ones, really need at least 5-10 different sources of relevant information.

If you are writing a paper, a good rule of thumb is that you should have one resource for every page of text, so a 5-page paper should have a minimum of 5 resources, a 10-page paper should have around 10 resources, etc. These resources should be varied. They could include books, journal articles, statistical data, online information sources, graphic information, etc.