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Assignment | Argument Essay (Weatherly): Topic Development

ENGL 1301 | Prof. S. Weatherly (Fall 2025)

Topic, Research Question, Thesis

First, you develop and narrow down your topic -- the general idea of what you're going to be researching. Questions may be prompted by your growing knowledge of the topic. As you read, let this knowledge guide your thesis and talking points.  

From your central topic, you develop your research question(s) to investigate, and then finally develop a thesis statement which answers your chosen question.

Mind Map a Topic