Ask yourself: What exactly am I trying to figure out here? If you start researching and writing before defining boundaries, you're likely to lose your way in a dense thicket of information, chasing every lead, rumor, and tangent you encounter. This is where I suggest a bit of Scope Narrowing to define the territory of your investigation and, ask questions that stay within the bounds of your chosen topic, and prevent yourself from going off course when writing.
Consider the topic of housing affordability for example. It's a massive, sprawling issue, so if you simply say "I'm gonna write about housing affordability" and start searching for info, you will encounter a ton of unfocused content but have no direction to guide you through it. Start your search by scope-narrowing, however, and you'll be forced to define things like:
1. Geographic Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Which region, city, neighborhood, etc. am I focusing on?
2. Demographic Group
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Which segment of the population am I looking at? Low-income families? First-time homebuyers?
3. Timeframe
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What time period am I analyzing? A single year? A span of several?
4. Type Of Housing
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Which categories are of interest? Single-family homes? Rental apartments? Multi-family units?
5. Your Purpose
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is the goal of my analysis? Do I want to inform people about the effects of specific policy decisions? Raise awareness about an affordability crisis? Compare affordability across regions?
Boundaries help you draw a map for questioning that will drive your research toward the truth rather than into the weeds, and the utility of this process doesn't stop there! Once you have defined the area within which your investigation will take place, Scope Narrowing beckons you to understand the context around and history that led to the present reality you are examining.
Say you've been tasked with writing about declining vehicle sales in River City. At first glance, this topic might feel vague, and without boundaries, you may be tempted to ask broad questions (such as why are people buying fewer cars?) and chase plausible-but-unsupported possibilities (like are electric cars replacing gas vehicles en masse?). To pursue root causes, you must instead ask targeted questions:
1. Which part(s) of River City have been impacted?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A review of city data shows you that core city sectors -- like downtown -- were hit hardest, rather than the entire city. What forces could have localized vehicle decline to River City's heart?
2. When did the decline start?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking at vehicle sales data from 2017 to 2023 shows you that the decline started in 2018 and intensified from there. What broader changes took place in River City during this time?
3. Did economic shifts coincide with the decline?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your background research notes an industrial meltdown in 2019; could this have eliminated the majority of manufacturing jobs in the city and left residents, on average, poorer?
4. Were there any regulatory changes before or during the decline?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Examining city policies reveals a 2021 ban on gas-powered vehicles in zones across the city. Could the ban have reduced demand for vehicle sales?
5. Did demographics change during the decline?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Population statistics show that young families migrated, in large numbers, from River City's heart to the outskirts and suburbs. Fewer people within River City could mean fewer people purchasing cars, no?
The answers to your targeted questions add context and hint at factors behind the decline in vehicle sales; now you can start to sketch out what might have taken place:
A manufacturing plant closure reduced local incomes and shrank the middle-class customer base. The 2021 gas vehicle ban forced dealers to close their storefronts and dealt a significant blow to the auto market within the city. Meanwhile, young professionals moved out, while rising housing costs and stagnant wages made car ownership less affordable for remaining residents.
Before narrowing your scope, you only saw the surface (fewer cars sold in River City). Now, after defining boundaries, you start to see a fuller picture of a city, once reliant on manufacturing, now grappling with deindustrialization, policy changes, and shifting demographics. You'll need more details to bolster these suspicions, however, so it is from this point that you should devise even more pointed questions, derived from your background research, that lead you closer to the truth of River City's vehicle decline, such as:
1. How many jobs were lost when the manufacturing plant closed? What impact did this have on the local middle-class income distribution?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This will clarify the severity and impact of the industrial downturn.
2. How did the decline in manufacturing jobs in River City compare to other cities in the region? What does this suggest about broader economic shifts?
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This will place the issue within a regional context, to help you determine whether the decline was isolated or part of a larger trend.
3. Were the gas vehicle bans implemented uniformly across the city, or did certain districts face tighter restrictions?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This will help you uncover whether the policy was a blanket measure or if it disproportionately affected River City's core sectors.
4. Did any government subsidies or incentives for electric vehicles accompany the gas vehicle ban? If so, did these benefit the city evenly, or did they disproportionately benefit certain neighborhoods and income groups?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This will help reveal more info on how city policy changes may have impacted vehicle sales.
5. How many young professionals moved out of River City, and how did that shift affect car ownership rates within the city?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This will help connect the demographic change to economic outcomes and better link migration patterns to the decline.
6. Did any surveys show a change in consumer preferences regarding transportation?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps residents started intentionally prioritizing public transit over car ownership? If preferences did change, you may be able to show how that aligned with the city's broader transportation policy changes.
And from the answers to these questions, you can further pinpoint how multiple changes connect, shedding light on the systemic/root causes behind the decline in vehicle sales. As you can see, Scope Narrowing holds immense potential for generating worthwhile questions, and you can us the following three-step process to start implementing it within your own writing...
Step One: Define Your Focus
Suppose you heard some rumors about a surge in crime around the campus of River City College. Residents are getting nervous, and you'd like to get to the bottom of things -- first to determine if this perceived crime surge is real and, if confirmed, to identify its underlying causes. Your opening move is to establish clear boundaries around your investigation so that you aren't overwhelmed by the broader topic of campus crime.
┌────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ FOCUS │ BOUNDARY-DEFINING
QUESTIONS │
├────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Core │ Q1: Which specific crimes are residents reporting? │
│ Subject
│
│
│ │ Q2: Am I examining all criminal activity, or a
│
│ │ specific category (theft, assault, vandalism,
│
│ │ arson,
murder)?
│
├────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Geography │ Q1: Exactly what area constitutes "around the │
│ │
campus"?
│
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: Which neighborhoods or blocks are experiencing │
│ │
complaints?
│
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: Are some areas more affected than others?
│
├────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│Demographics│ Q1: Which residents are reporting concerns │
│ │ (students, families, business
owners)? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: Who are the alleged
victims? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: Who are the alleged
perpetrators? │
├────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Timeframe │ Q1: When did complaints
begin? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: What timeframe am I comparing this "surge" to │
│ │ (last semester, last year,
pre-pandemic)? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: Are there any patterns by time of day or week? │
├────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Purpose │ Q1: Am I verifying if the surge is real or │
│ │
perceived?
│
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: Am I identifying causes to develop prevention │
│ │
strategies?
│
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: Who will use the info we gather (campus
│
│ │ security, local police, community organizers)?
│
└────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Based on your answers, you should create a precise focus statement that incorporates the boundaries of your work. In this case, that might be something like:
I'm investigating whether or not there has been a statistically significant increase in reported thefts and assaults within a half-mile radius of River City College over the past six months compared to the previous three years, and, if it is confirmed, what factors might be driving this change.
Next, test the viability of your scope by asking questions about whether or not your goals make sense and are/aren't achievable:
1. Can I access reliable crime data for this specific area and timeframe?
2. Is my geographical boundary logical given campus activities and residential patterns?
3. Does this focus allow me determine facts and link them to potential causes?
Finally, establish explicit exclusion criteria to prevent your scope from creeping out of your control:
1. I will not examine citywide crime trends, except as a comparative baseline.
2. I will not investigate crimes inside campus buildings, and will instead focus on public areas.
3. I will not analyze crime dynamics in neighborhoods beyond my defined radius around the campus.
Step Two: Conduct Background Research
With boundaries established, you must now gather preliminary information to understand context and identify potential patterns before drawing any tentative conclusions. In the case of the campus crime surge, your background research checklist would include items such as:
[-] Collect official crime statistics from campus security and local police for the defined area.
[-] Review local news coverage about campus-area crime to identify reported incidents and public concerns.
[-] Identify environmental changes around campus (lighting, construction, vacant buildings, security presence).
[-] Document recent campus policy changes (campus security protocols, police patrol patterns, city ordinances).
[-] Note any major events or city-wide shifts that might affect crime or the perception of safety.
[-] Compare complaint volume to reported crime stats to assess a potential perception vs. reality gap.
Your background research, in this instance, will necessitate questioning to develop a timeline of significant changes in the campus area that could correlate with crime patterns, like:
1. When did major housing developments open or close?
2. Were there changes to campus security staffing or hours?
3. Have there been fluctuations in student population density?
4. Have there been budget cuts to local services or community programs?
Since you could be dealing with a disconnect between perceptions and reality, taking steps to map this possibility will be a key focus of your background research:
[-] Survey different stakeholders about their crime concerns.
[-] Compare their perceptions with the statistical data you're able to obtain.
[-] Note discrepancies that might explain heightened concerns.
And, of course, there's the possibility that existing stats have been confounded by some means, so you might also want to ask:
1. Has crime reporting become easier or been encouraged? Or have factors made reporting crime more difficult?
2. Have crime definitions or categorization methods changed?
3. Are there seasonal patterns that explain the current trends in crime?
Now, imagine that your background research has revealed the following:
1. Property crimes, particularly theft, increased 32% in the half-mile radius around campus compared to last year, while the citywide increase was only 8%.
2. Assaults showed no significant increase, despite being frequently mentioned in resident complaints.
3. 78% of the thefts occurred between 6pm and 2am, with peak concentration on the evenings between Thursday and Saturday.
4. Three new off-campus housing complexes opened in September, adding 450 student residents to the area.
5. The campus security budget was cut by 15% last year, reducing overnight patrols in peripheral areas.
6. Two popular campus-area bars extended their hours until 2am on weekends.
7. Streetlight outages in the northwest quadrant of the "crime zone" have increased by 40% and repair times have doubled since last year.
8. Social media posts about crime increased 215%, even though reported property crime only rose 32% over the last year.
Sounds like you have some worthwhile leads, no? Next, let's talk about what types of questions you can formulate from here.
Step Three: Refine Your Questioning
With that wonderful background info in your grasp, you can now generate more specific questions that lead you closer to an understanding of what's driving the situation:
┌──────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CATEGORY │ REFINED
QUESTIONS │
├──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Theft Patterns │ Q1: What specific items are being stolen, and │
│ │ how has this changed from previous periods? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: Is there a correlation between theft
│
│ │ locations and proximity to the new student │
│ │ housing
complexes? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: What security features exist at locations │
│ │ with lower theft rates that might explain
│
│ │ their resistance to the
trend? │
├──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Temporal │ Q1: Do the peak theft hours align with the │
│ Correlations │ extended bar hours, and if so, what's the │
│ │ distance between these incidents and the
│
│ │
establishments?
│
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: Has the daily pattern for thefts changed │
│ │ since the bars extended their
hours? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: What was the time distribution of thefts │
│ │ before security patrols were cut, and how
│
│ │ has it shifted
since? │
├──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Environmental │ Q1: What percentage of the thefts occurred in │
│ Factors │ areas with documented streetlight outages? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: How does the density of security cameras │
│ │ correlate with theft
outcomes? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: Are there specific environmental design │
│ │ features (bushes, alleys,
parking │
│ │ structures) common to high-theft locations? │
├──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Demographic │ Q1: What is the victim profile for recent │
│ Variables │ thefts, and how does it compare to previous │
│ │
periods?
│
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: Is there a correlation between the class │
│ │ schedules of students in the new housing
│
│ │ and the timing of the
thefts? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: What percentage of victims are intoxicated │
│ │ at the time of theft, and has this changed │
│ │ since the bar hour
extension? │
├──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Security │ Q1: What specific areas were removed from patrol │
│ Response │ routes after the security budget cuts, and │
│ │ do these align with theft
hotspots? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: What is the average response time for
│
│ │ security calls in different campus-adjacent │
│ │ zones, and how has this changed since the
│
│ │
cuts?
│
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: What security measures do the new housing │
│ │ complexes provide, and how do they compare │
│ │ to established
housing? │
├──────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Perception v. │ Q1: What specific social media platforms are │
│ Reality │ driving the amplified crime narrative, and │
│ │ can I identify key influential
posts? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q2: What language patterns and emotional cues │
│ │ appear in resident complaints that might
│
│ │ explain the focus on assault despite
no │
│ │ statistical
increase? │
│
│
│
│ │ Q3: Has media coverage of campus crime changed │
│ │ in tone or frequency, and if so,
what │
│ │ triggered the
shift? │
└──────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Delve deeper into each cluster of questions you develop to establish more facts and further your knowledge of which factors are relevant. In this instance, you might start mapping streetlight outages, interviewing bar staff about activity in the area, overlaying former security patrol routes with current patrol routes, or identifying which areas have seen the greatest reduction in security.
Since you may have a great many leads to follow up on, I recommend prioritizing them in categories of impact and ease:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INVESTIGATION PRIORITY
│
│
│
│ HIGH IMPACT, │ HIGH IMPACT,
│
│ EASY TO INVESTIGATE │ DIFFICULT TO INVESTIGATE │
│
│ │
│ • Streetlight outage/ │ • Student victim │
│ theft correlation │ intoxication data │
│ • Patrol route changes │ • Social media influence │
│ and theft hotspots │ on perception
│
│ • Security camera │ • Housing complex │
│ coverage gaps │ security comparison
│
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ LOW IMPACT, │ LOW IMPACT,
│
│ EASY TO INVESTIGATE │ DIFFICULT TO INVESTIGATE │
│
│ │
│ • Perception variation │ • Historical assault │
│ among resident types │ perception patterns │
│ • Public statement │ • Correlation with │
│ frequency by │ citywide economic
│
│ officials │
indicators │
│ • Distance calculation │ • Resident fear │
│ from housing to │ intensity
│
│ incident sites
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
And, when you've finally been able to determine which factors are applicable, you can start to develop causal chain that demonstrates how their combined effects created opportunity for the present situation to come to fruition:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CAUSAL CHAIN
│
│
│
│ Security Budget
Cuts
│
│
│
│
│
▼
│
│ Reduced Patrols
────┐
│
│ │
│
│
│ ▼
▼
│
│ Delayed Streetlight Decreased Visible │
│ Repairs Security
Presence │
│
│
│ │
│
└─────────┬───────────┘ │
│
▼
│
│ Extended Bar Hours
───────┐ │
│ │
│ │
│ ▼
▼ │
│ More Intoxicated More Late-Night
│
│ Students Foot
Traffic │
│ │
│ │
│
└────────┬──────────┘ │
│
▼
│
│
OPPORTUNITY
│
│
│
│
│
▼
│
│ INCREASED
THEFT
│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
And from here you could start to uncover more insights. Is there a pattern to the items the thieves are taking? If so, is there an opportunity for victims to secure those items better in an effort to deter theft? Are there specific street segments along that would benefit most if prioritized for lighting repairs? Scope Narrowing is an iterative process, and each round of investigation should lead you to more precise questions, detailed answers, and actionable insights.
Now would you look at that? You went from hearing a few whispers about a campus crime surge to unveiling a slew of recent changes that worked in tandem to create it. When faced with complex topics -- housing affordability, declining vehicle sales, campus safety concerns -- Scope Narrowing provides a path through unknown territory by:
1. Establishing clear boundaries around your investigation
2. Guiding background research to understand context and identify patterns
3. Refining your questions based on what you discover
Through this process, you generate questions that, as we discussed at the outset of this section on Curiosity, are:
1. Relevant
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connected to your specific area of inquiry
2. Precise
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Targeting exact factors rather than broad generalizations
3. Productive
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leading to insights rather than dead ends
4. Feasible
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Answerable with available resources and methods
5. Significant
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addressing your understand of the core issue
In our next post, we'll explore the next essential tool in your writer's arsenal: Hypothesis Testing. While Scope Narrowing helps define our territory and generate
targeted questions, Hypothesis Testing provides a means for evaluating potential explanations.
By combining Scope Narrowing with Hypothesis Testing, you'll develop a powerful one-two combo for uncovering hidden truths no matter where they've been concealed. Until then, I encourage you to practice Scope Narrowing with a topic you're currently investigating. Define your boundaries, conduct preliminary research, and see how your questions evolve. You may be surprised at how quickly this approach brings clarity to even the most challenging subject!
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