What topic interests you within this subject area? It is okay to start with a general topic and, as you build your background knowledge, narrow that topic.
It will depend on how many relevant and trustworthy sources you find in your research. You will need enough time to read through those sources and write a satisfactory paper given the limited space (yes, even 10 pages is a limited space).
New topics tend to have limited resources, so your research topic might have to be more general. For very new topics, make sure there are enough relevant and trustworthy sources available before committing to it. Older topics have usually been considered from many different angles, so your research topic will have to be much more specific.
This keeps your research and paper focused on the specific topic.
For example, if you are interested in finding out about how well college students speak a foreign language after going on a study abroad, you might ask, "What effect does study abroad have on the foreign language skills of college students?"
Other examples:
Broad Topic: Foreign Language
Research Question: What effect does study abroad have on the foreign language skills of college students?
Broad Topic: William Shakespeare
Research Question: How has Shakespearean drama been adapted for the 20th century film medium?
Broad Topic: Endangered Species
Research Question: What is currently being done to help conserve the endangered Giant Panda population?
Your topic should be broad enough so you can find sufficient information but narrow enough to answer a specific question.
Narrow a broad topic by:
A narrow topic may be too specific to return useful research results.
Broaden a topic by:
Use these databases to browse hot topics.
