Question

Ilana wants to write her research paper for her history class on the day that King Henry VIII married Jane Seymour. Which
problem exists with her topic selection?
A. It does not fit the class.
B. It is too narrow.
C. It is too controversial.
D. It is too broad.

Answer 1

The correct answer is B. It too narrow

Explanation:

Writing a research paper involves reading, analyzing, and citing multiple sources to understand or describe an event or phenomenon through a formal paper. In the case of history, it is expected the event analyzed is broad enough that it requires consulting multiple sources and it can be developed in 5 to 10 pages.

This does not occur with the topic chosen by Ilana because she is focusing on only one day, which is too narrow for a research paper. Indeed, it is likely there are only a few sources about this event and the complete topic can be developed in only a couple of pages, which is not enough for a research paper.