It is important that you choose a topic that accommodates the size of your paper. A complex topic is too extensive for a term paper of 10-15 pages. You need to edit the topic you have chosen and narrow it. This is the step towards defining a research topic.

A mindmap can be a helpful tool for refining a topic. When using a mindmap, you divide the topic into several sub-topics. Then you divide each sub-topic into another level of sub-topics. Moreover, a mindmap can reveal interesting connections between the different sub-topics.

You are going to write a paper on genetics. Genetics is a topic of interest to physicians, technologists, scientists, social scientists, humanists and lawyers, among others.

Genetics is a very broad topic that must be narrowed. Start by writing 'Genetics' in a circle in the middle of a blank piece of paper. Write down different aspects to the topic 'genetics' in circles surrounding the main topic. To simplify our figure, we have only included three sub-topics. Can you think of any others?

The three sub-topics 'ethical issues', 'forensic evidence' and 'medical issues' are still too broad. You need to refine further with yet another circle.

If you find related sub-topics, connect them by drawing a new line. In our figure below, we have made a line between DNA privacy and DNA registry of prisoners.

If your topic is still too broad, you can add another level of sub-topics.