Choosing a debatable topic
People argue about issues, not topics. Before you can take a position on a topic like air pollution or football injuries, you must figure out what is at issue. Try turning your topic into a problem by asking questions about it. Are there indications that all is not as it should be? Have things always been this way or have they changed for the worse? From what different perspectives--economic, social, political, cultural, medical, geographic--can problems like a wide receiver's recent knee injury or a quarterback's forced retirement be understood? Do people interested in the topic disagree about what is true, what is good, or what is to be done?
Based on your answers to such questions, identify the issues your topic raises and decide which of these issues you think is most important, interesting, and appropriate for you to write about in response to the assignment you have been given.