It is impossible to cover all aspects of a broad topic in a course research paper. For example, it is impossible to adequately describe the entire life of Martin Luther King Jr. in fifteen pages. To construct a workable research project, you must first narrow your topic to a single theme from King's life.

FOR EXAMPLE: If you begin with a broad topic such as "The Life of Martin Luther King Jr.," then you might end up with a narrow theme such as "Martin Luther King's Role in the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott of 1955."