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ENGL 1301 Oberle

This guide is for students in Prof. Oberle's ENGL 1301 classes. It has resources and tips to help you with your cause/effect essay.

Choosing a Topic

You have a long list of possible topics to choose from on pages 4 and 5 of the Cause/Effect Essay assignment. But you don't want to just choose a topic at random! 

Before you start your paper, you'll want to pick a topic carefully to make sure:

  1. You're interested in the topic (no one wants to write about something boring)

  2. The topic is not too broad: there shouldn't be too much information available on the causes and/or effects of your topic

  3. The topic is not too narrow: there shouldn't be not enough information available on the causes and/or effects of your topic 

 
              

Watch this quick video to find out why it's so important to do a little bit of research before you settle on your final topic: 

 

When you're ready to try some of the pre-research strategies mentioned in the video, start with our page on finding background information on your topic. 

You can also contact a librarian - we can help you figure out if the topic you chose is too broad, too narrow, or just right.