Once you have decided on a topic and have done some background
reading, you need to formulate a topic statement: one or two sentences summarizing
the main point of your paper.
To develop a topic statement, go back to the questions you asked about
your topic. Choose a question that interests you, and then answer your own question
in a complete sentence or two. The answer is what you will use as a topic statement.
The more specific you make your topic statement, the more it will help you to plan
your research, limit your note-taking, and organize your findings.