Choosing A Topic

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Choosing A Topic
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Choosing A Topic

• VERY GENERAL
• The Divinity of Christ in the NT
• MORE SPECIFIC
• The Divinity of Christ in the Gospel of John
• MUCH BETTER
• Christ as the Bread of Life in John 6

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Choosing A Topic

• Topic goes from
• Shallow to Deep
• Impossible to Feasible

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Choosing A Topic

• STEPS in choosing topic
• Reading
• Asking Questions
• Narrowing Scope
• Even when topic is assigned, following these
  steps can result in better topic.

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Choosing A Topic

• Reading
• Textbooks
• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedias
• Key Move from general to specific
• As read, note information on sources (to find
  again)
• As read, take notes
• Be especially attentive to questions reading
  brings up.

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions
• Of yourself
• Of your peers
• Of your professors
• Of what you read

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions
• Can help you determine if you have a good topic
• Can narrow the topic focus on an issue to
  research

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions
• Concerning
• Content
• Feasibility

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions on content
• 1) Questions on organization of the topic
• What are its parts?
• Of what larger whole is this a part?
• Sources?
• Subdivisions (outline) of encyclopedia article
• Table of contents of a book

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions on content
• 2) Questions regarding history of the topic
• What has been written on this topic?
• Is this a controversial topic?
• Are lines already drawn between opposing sides
  over this topic?
• What can I add to this history?

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions on content
• 3) Questions regarding usefulness of topic
• What good is this topic?
• How can I use the results of my research?
• Besides me, who will benefit from my work?

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions On Feasibility
• 1) Do I have the necessary sources to do this
  research?
• Heb. worddo I have lexicons, word studies?
• 2) Am I qualified to do this research?
• Heb. worddo I know Hebrew?

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions On Feasibility
• 3) Do I have enough time to complete research
  before the due date?
• Interlibrary loan
• Interviewing someone hundreds of miles away

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Choosing A Topic

• Asking Questions On Feasibility
• 4) Does this research demand costs that I cannot
  afford?
• Mailing questionnaires

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Choosing A Topic

• Narrowing The Topic
• Delimitationslimits that make the topic better,
  clearer, more manageable
• Delimiting indispensablein good research,
  researcher responsible for turning up and
  examining every single piece of information on a
  topic

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Choosing A Topic

• Narrowing The Topic
• Think of research as fencing off land and turning
  every stone.
• If area is too big, dont have time to turn all
  the stones.

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Choosing A Topic

• Narrowing The Topic
• Types of Delimitation
• 1) Time
• Research project studying the chronology of kings
  of Judah could take years
• Wiser to do chronology of Josiah
• Having set the time limitation, no one will ask
  why you didnt include other kings

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Choosing A Topic

• Narrowing The Topic
• Types of Delimitation
• 2) Sources
• Divorce passages in Matthew 5 and Mark 10
• Cant be called into question as to why didnt
  include latest book on divorce

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Choosing A Topic

• Narrowing The Topic
• Types of Delimitation
• 3) Aspects
• Paper in theology of worshipexclude contemporary
  music
• No room for that discussion
• Notedont go too far make sure the
  delimitations make as much sense to others as to
  you