Research paper

As mentioned in class, the data you are collecting is not your overall topic; for example, collecting data on drivers going through stop signs is not a research paper on stop signs. The overall topic may be something like: “Gender Compliance with Traffic Laws.”

In this case, your literature review may have topics such as:

I. History of Traffic Laws

A. The proliferation of cars in society

B. Initial results of increase in automobiles on American roads

1. Pedestrian deaths

2. Resulting change in laws

II. Automobile Crimes vs. Accidents

A. State laws

B. Federal laws

C. Local jurisdictions

D. Pedestrians deaths by state

E. Automobile deaths in the United States

F. Variation in laws across states

III. History of Gender and Driving

A. Early licensing

B. Gender differences in automobile violations

C. Gender differences in automobile crimes

IV. Women in the workplace—does it affect gender and automobile usage?

A. Increase of women in the workplace since the 1960s

B. Today’s workplace breakdown

C. Traffic Violations Across the Country

This is just an example for you to understand that your overall topic has many components, while your methodology is much more focused. Remember to give your project a title/focus that reflects both the background of your study and what you’re hoping to learn from your research.