Osborne High School Senior Project 2017- 2018
Topic Selection Guidelines
The research topic should be one in which you are highly interested, but not yet an expert. If you have been a
black belt in karate and have studied martial arts for many years, you probably already know a great deal about the subject
of karate; this would not qualify as a "learning stretch."
The research topic should be broad enough to allow you access to enough information, but narrow enough to
make the research scope reasonable. For example, a student choosing the topic First Aid would find it impossible to
include everything about first aid (home remedies, history of emergency services, the treatment of burns, the evolution of
first aid courses, etc). On the other hand, a student choosing to research the Application of Band-Aids to Skin Abrasions
would probably have difficulty finding enough information. A more reasonable topic might be Lifesaving Techniques Used by
Emergency Medical Technicians.
The research topic should be one that is intellectually and creatively challenging. Take care not to choose a topic
that is limited to relatively simple ideas or one that has little application or extension possibilities. Such a choice would
make the resulting paper, product, and presentation uninteresting for both you and the judges. The topic should represent
an intellectual s-t-r-e-t-c-h for you and one that is worthy of investigation.
Be mindful that your topic should lend itself to the creation of a product, learning of a skill, or performance of a
community service. Choose your topic with the ultimate product in mind. Some students even begin by determining
something they would love to do or make (product) and tailor their research topic around their product.
Avoid choosing topics that might involve expenses that you are not prepared to handle. There is no required
expenditure for the research or the product. If you do not drive, do NOT plan research that requires you going to distant
locales; if you do not have much money, do not plan research that will involve purchasing costly equipment or committing
you to a series of expensive lessons. Keep in mind that your grade on the research/product is not affected by your
expenditures.
Topics that are illegal, immoral, dangerous to you or to someone else, or prohibited by Cobb County schools
will not be approved. For example, avoid experiments that are potentially explosive; stay away from activities such as
handling poisonous snakes; steer clear of investigations of pornography web sites or other unsavory areas.
Primary research shows originality and intellectual maturity. Choose a topic that will allow you to do a personal
interview, survey, scientific experiment, etc. for research.
Before making your final choice, do some preliminary research. Investigate your main areas of interest to be sure
that you can locate abundant research material to complete your paper. This exploration might open new possibilities for
your final topic.
Use good judgment when selecting your topic. Not only must your topic be approved by your parents and a
committee, but your ultimate presentation must be appropriate for a review board of community and faculty judges.
Select a topic that is complex enough to warrant your time and one that you will be proud to share with others. Do not
waste time investigating topics that will be rejected. A committee will review any topics/products deemed
questionable for final approval.
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This guide has been adapted and revised from Hillgrove Senior Project Student Handbook for Osborne Cardinal Capstone Student Handbook.