Once a topic has been identified, it has to be narrowed down to a specific one. One needs to read further to find as many information as possible regarding the topic. The following reminders need to be considered:
- what is current and what is new;
- recommendations of researchers who have conducted similar studies;
- what has already been studied; and
- new ways of gathering data.
The above pictures are examples of broad topics that are narrowed down to specific ones.
It may also be helpful to scan the list of references from the library or the Internet. Sometimes, there are authors’ contact information in their publications that can be helpful in the development of the ideas relevant to the topic. This can be achieved by writing correspondences to those authors for more information and procedures. With the state of the current technology, it is now easy to communicate to people no matter how far the distance is. Emails can reach these personalities in a very short time. Often, a different level of satisfaction is attained once the researcher exchanges ideas personally with the experts in the field of the former’s research endeavor. This process significantly improves the conduct of the study.
