2.选题

FromTopictoTitle如何选择并确定论文题目DefinitionoftheTopic•Importance•Interest•AvailabilityofresourcesChoosingatopic•Selectingatopicisoneofyourmostimportanttasks.Yourtopicneedstobenarrowenoughtocoverinapaper,butnotsospecificthatyoucan’tfindresearchsources.Andmostimportant—youhavetobeinterestedinit,oryouwon’tbemotivatedtoworkonyourpaper.语言翻译文化文学教育Step1.Chooseabroadtopicthatinterestsyouandthatfallswithinyourteacher’sguidelines.•Example:Yourteacherassignedaresearchpaperonascientificsubject;youselectGeneticsasyourbroadtopic.Step2.Dosomediggingtogetafeelforyourtopic.Skimanencyclopediaarticleandreadafewnewspaperarticlesthatrelatetoyourtopic.Thiswillintroduceyoutothemajorareasofinterestinyourtopic.•Example:AfterskimmingtheencyclopediaarticleonGenetics,youdiscoverthatthisbroadtopiccovershuman,animal,andplantspecies,andthatit’salsoacutting-edgescientificandmedicaldiscipline.Step3.Narrowyourfocus.Startbyapplyingthesameprinciplesyoudidbefore—pickanaspectofyourbroadtopicthatinterestsyouandfitswithyourassignmentguidelines.•Example:Duringyourpreliminaryresearchyoudiscoveredthatyouareespeciallyinterestedincloning—morespecifically,thetechniquesusedinhumancloning.Step4.Putyourtopictotheresearchtest.DoaquickInternetsearchandfindouthowmuchmaterialthelibraryhasonyourtopic.Canyoufindseveralcrediblesources?Ifnot,you’llneedtonarrowyourfocusonanothertopic.GeneralSubjectArea(1)•Guidingquestionstolinguisticresearch–Howdoweexpresspolitenessthroughstructure?–Whatmakesjokesfunny?–Whyaresomesentencesambiguous?–Whatrestrictionsarethereregardingwhichwordscangowithwhichothers?–Howdointonationandpunctuationcontributetomeaning?–Howarewordsconstructed?GeneralSubjectArea(2)•GuidingquestionstoSecond–languageAcquisition–Isclassroomlearningavalidwaytogaincommunicativelanguageskills?–Isthereafundamentaldifferencebetweenbeingtaughtalanguageandpickingitupfromtheenvironment?–Issecond-languageacquisitionintrinsicallythesameasordifferentfromfirst-languageacquisition?GeneralSubjectArea(2)–Whyaresomeadultsmoresuccessfulatlanguagelearningthanothers?–Isthereanagebeyondwhichthe'natural'language-learningmechanismsnolongerfunctioneffectively?–Doesresidenceabroadmakeaqualitativedifferencetolanguageskills?–Arethereanyconsistentpatternsintheorderinwhichlearnersmasterlanguagefeatures?GeneralSubjectArea(3)•GuidingtitlestoEnglishLiterature–OntheTragicCharacterofHamlet–OntheRebelliousImageofSataninParadiselost–MysticismandSymbolisminWilliamBlake’sPoems–FeaturesofShelley’sPoetry–AestheticisminKeats’Poetry–TheFemaleCharactersinAusten’sNovels–AnAnalysisontheCharacterofJaneEyre–Hardy’sFatalismandPessimisminTessoftheD’UrbervillesGeneralSubjectArea(4)•GuidingtitlestoAmericanLiterature–MoralizationinHawthorne’sFiction–Multi-SymbolisminTheScarletLetter–DemocraticIdealsinWaltWhitman’sPoems–ModernistFeaturesofEmilyDickinson’sPoetry–HumorandIronyinMarkTwain’sNovels–WarNovelsbyHemingway–DecodingtheMessagein“ARoseforEmily”StatementoftheTopic(1)•Stateyourtopicasaquestion:–Whatarethepsychologicaleffectsofcomputer-assistedinstruction?–HowhasE.D.Hirsch’sconceptof“culturalliteracy”affectededucationalgoals?–HastheendofthecoldwaraffectedAmericans’expressionsofpatriotism?StatementoftheTopic(2)•Stateyourtopicasahypothesis:–Studentscomposingoncomputerswritedifferentlythantheydowhencomposingbyhandoronthetypewriter.–Thefallofthedollaragainstmajorforeigncurrenciesdoesnot(does)affecttheU.S.economy.–Mostscientistsbelievethattheearthisexperiencingthephenomenonknownasglobalwarming.–Televisionprogramsairedinprimetimeshould(shouldnot)becensoredforsexandviolence.StatementoftheTopic(3)•Youranswertothequestionoryourrevisedhypothesiswillbecomethethesisstatement,orwhatsomeinstructorscallthecontrollingidea,ofyourpaper.(CaroleSlade,FormandStyle:ResearchPapers,ReportsandTheses,p.2-5)Brainstorming•Branching•Treediagramming•OutliningPopularityofAmericanFastFoodEffects&ImpactKindofFastFoodReasonsforPopularityDemographicsProcessing&IngredientsEconomicCulturalHealthPHBKMcDKFCSocialDeep-friedPreservativesPsychologyPromotionsPackagingTasteServiceFamilyIncomeGenderAgePre-manufacturedGreasyCityvs.RuralBranchingPopularityofAmericanFastFoodEffects&ImpactKindofFastFoodDemographicsCulturalHealthPHBKMcDKFCSocialFamilyIncomeGenderAgeTreediagrammingOutliningTitle:PopularityofAmericanFastFoodI.KindofFastfoodA.KentuckyChickenB.McDonald’sC.PizzaHutII.ReasonsforPopularityA.ServiceB.TasteC.PackagingIII.DemographicsA.AgeB.GenderC.FamilyIncomeIV.Effects&Impact