How to Choose and Filter Research Topics An ancient Chinese proverb tells us, the longest journey begins with the first step. Never has that saying been more true than when it comes to writing a research paper. Your first step in writing a paper is to choose and filter your topic. This critical first step will determine how long it will take you to reach your goal of a polished paper. A bad step at this point could send you over a cliff. That's why it's best to follow a series of steps as you focus and narrow a research topic that will let you produce your best writing. The video below provides tools and techniques for choosing a workable topic, filtering it by theme, place and time, then translating the topic into an open-ended research question that will guide the process of writing. If you experience problems watching the video, copy and paste this URL into a new browser window: http://polaris.umuc.edu/ewc/research_topics/research_topics.html