Brainstorming & Topic Generation

Brainstorm

• Subjects rich in analytic possibility
• Focus on something you care about
• General idea of possibilities for analysis
• What's important to you?

-->Subject

• Focus on major themes, images, tropes, parallels, etc.
• Think of larger implications-->beyond the surface of the "text"
• Extend subject into the world--what matters about your subject?

Approaching a Potential Subject

• What do you know?
• What are potential angles?
• Why this topic? Why this cultural artifact?

Context 

• Importance to you, audience, readers
• Sources of information
• Possible questions
  • research angles + keys
  • arguable? researchable? 
  • Why this question? 

From Topic to Focus

• Recall lecture on narrowing topics
• Move from general to specific 
• Do you have a researchable angle? 

Actually, it's about finding an interesting, unique way to talk about culture

Is your research angle important, engaging, unique, thought provoking?

Will anyone care?

Relevance
Richness
Research

Now what?