A Level EPQ WJEC

Choose a topic and title

Topic and Title Selection

Interest and Passion

• The starting point for choosing a topic should be personal interest.
• Choosing a topic you're passionate about will make the essay-writing process more enjoyable and less strenuous.
• You need to sustain interest in your topic throughout the project; engrossment in the subject matter can be a powerful motivator.

Scope of the Topic

• You should carefully consider the scope of your topic.
• An overly broad topic can be daunting and challenging to cover comprehensively.
• A niche topic might make sourcing relevant information and research difficult.
• Having a balanced scope that allows for in-depth examination but is not overly narrow nor too vast is key.

Relevance and Usefulness

• The chosen topic should ideally have some relevance to your future aspirations or current studies.
• This relevance acts as incentive and ensures that the project will be useful beyond the context of the qualification.
• This might mean selecting a topic relevant to your intended degree course, or a problem or debate you care deeply about.

Formulating the Title

• Your essay should have a clear, concise, and engaging title.
• The title should ideally be posed as a question that the essay will answer, or a challenge that it will address.
• It should give the reader a clear idea of what your project will explore without being overly complex or vague.

Preliminary Research

• Conduct some preliminary research to ensure you have enough resources to support your essay.
• This will give you an idea of the existing viewpoints on your topic, and will also guide you in formulating your essay title.
• Libraries, academic databases, and the internet are good starting points for this research.
• This process can also help refine and focus your title if it seems too broad or narrow initially.

Tutor Approval

• Before settling on your topic and title, you should seek feedback from your project supervisor.
• They can provide insightful advice on the coherence, scope, and feasibility of your topic.
• Once approved, your choice of topic and title is final and your project can begin in earnest.