Exploring Strategies for Choosing a Research Seminar Topic in Japanese Studies When You're Unfamiliar with the Subject Matter
In the bustling world of the Woodrow Wilson School, a concentrator is navigating the challenges of selecting a Junior Paper (JP) topic in a subject they are unfamiliar with. This journey, however, is not without its strategies and insights.
The individual's first step in addressing this challenge was to adopt a positive attitude, recognising that this process would be an opportunity to explore new territories and broaden their horizons. This approach is echoed by Professor Udi Ofer, a renowned figure within the Woodrow Wilson School, who emphasises the importance of maintaining a curious and open mind when faced with unfamiliar subjects.
To choose a research topic for a Junior Paper in an unfamiliar subject, it's crucial to map your current interests and skills, then explore how themes, methods, or problems in the new subject might intersect with them. For instance, identify broad concepts or questions in the new field that resonate or overlap with areas you already enjoy or understand.
An exploratory or descriptive research design can be beneficial in such cases. This approach allows you to investigate broadly and make initial observations or connections without requiring deep prior subject expertise. It's also advisable to consult introductory resources or review articles in the new subject to get a sense of key themes and recent questions researchers are asking.
Framing your research question around this overlap can help you land a focused, manageable topic that links the two fields. This approach can motivate and ground your project in personal interest, increasing engagement and originality.
In the case of our individual, their finalized JP topic is the inconsistencies surrounding maternal health policies in women's prisons and why they exist, with a focus on prison reform as an interest. This topic, while new, resonates with the individual's existing interest in researching race and discrimination, albeit in a different context.
The junior year in the Woodrow Wilson School is filled with research seminars, task forces, and multiple JPs. Our individual is currently in a seminar about Maternal and Child Health in the U.S., a subject that, surprisingly, they found applicable to their everyday life.
As for strategies for picking a second JP topic when the first one doesn't work out, the individual suggests brainstorming what excites you in your familiar field and considering which aspects might translate or relate to core topics in the new subject. Using multiple information sources critically to understand the new topic's context and avoiding bias is also key.
Lastly, discussing your preliminary ideas with a professor or research advisor can help refine your direction and ensure feasibility and alignment with the new subject’s expectations. Consider using non-traditional research methods like interviews or pilot studies if appropriate for generating initial insights when entering new territory.
This method leverages your strengths and curiosity while building competence in the new field, leading to an innovative and personally meaningful Junior Paper. The Woodrow Wilson School also boasts a Junior Researcher to Senior Commissioner task force, which could potentially provide further guidance and support in such endeavours.
[1] Adapted from: "Choosing a Research Topic for a Junior Paper in an Unfamiliar Subject" by Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) [3] Adapted from: "Conducting Research: A Guide for the Uninitiated" by University of California, Berkeley Library
The individual recognized that choosing a Junior Paper topic in an unfamiliar subject presented an opportunity to broaden their education-and-self-development by exploring new learning territories. By embracing a curious and open mind, as advocated by Professor Udi Ofer, they mapped their interests and skills, and identified overlaps with the new subject, leading them to the junior paper topic on the inconsistencies surrounding maternal health policies in women's prisons and why they exist, which resonated with their existing interest in researching race and discrimination.
