Choosing a topic for research work takes a lot of work to do. Students must understand the importance of choosing a trendy and suitable topic for their dissertation, project, or thesis work. Working on a dissertation or thesis is a daunting task for a student; hence, it is significant for them to choose a topic they may find interesting. And, as these carry credit points in large numbers, students must perform well in their dissertations and score good grades. There are several steps that students can follow to make sure that they choose a research topic that is trendy as well as of high quality. By following the steps discussed below, students can formulate a well-defined and well-suited topic based on the research question of what the student wants to find.
Moreover, the research topic is best understood by the problem or question of the research. The research aims not to establish an encyclopedia of the chosen field of interest but to shedshed light on the chosen issue that needs to be discussed. The steps are discussed below –
Understanding the process of research
More often, it is observed that students make a common mistake by skipping to the main idea directly, and then they must pay for it. They must start by looking at the instructions and handouts their university or institution gave them, expecting what to be added to a dissertation. For instance, the students must see the oral instructions given in class, the course handbook, and online information before jumping directly to the main idea. They need to know what the professor had instructed and what the institution wants and search for relevant online sources, which will make them understand why the institution provides these materials. One of the reasons is that the student needs to have a basic knowledge of the methodologies and process of research, analysis methods, and fieldwork options before starting the process of creativity, or hence, it will happen that the student will not be able to think about their research adequately. So, they must understand the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods. Secondly, institutions or departments give the students specific requirements to complete their research work. For instance, requirements about the originality of the topic, word count, data requirements, methodology, and ethical adherence. Students must be aware of the requirements to save time by searching for relevant topics or ideas. Therefore, the most essential step for choosing a research topic is to make sure that the student is aware of all the instructions and requirements of the institution.
Reviewing existing dissertations or thesis
Many individuals have completed dissertations in the past. Their dissertation can help the students by making them understand what methodologies and processes of research can be incorporated into their study. This process is advantageous for students as they can have several ideas by reviewing various studies and then decide what to incorporate into their study. These existing dissertations help the students by making them understand the idea of all the things that they can add to their dissertation, understand how their bibliography looks, how they can write good literature for their research and what methods they can utilize and how these can support the argument presented in the research. Reviewing many dissertations in the interest area will also make the student understand the rigid expectations of the institution about the format and structure of the dissertation or what precisely the institution wants the student to discuss in their chapters, heading of the chapter, order of content, presentation style and much more.
Reviewing the academic literature
After understanding the research process, knowing the specific requirements of the institution, and understanding what can be incorporated into the study, students can start with the ideation process. The ideation process is mainly done by seeing the present literature and figuring out what more can be added to the study, making it an original work.
Starting the ideation process – Students must consider where to search for literature. And the best starting point for searching literature can be the modules. Students must check out their coursework and completed assignments and understand that utilizing the coursework is one of the best theoretical bases for the literature as it involves enough and high caliber for the institution. The topics also will be relevant to their course. They must start by recognizing the modules for which the students have gathered interest and what they have acquired knowledge. They must understand and figure out the best reports, essays, or assignments and be clear about which areas interest them. For instance, while working in a marketing module, students may find trust in organizations or consumers making decisions enjoyable. So, students must understand the relevant areas they are interested in, which have a solid academic importance.
Understanding the current state of knowledge – When the student decides on what topic he will research based on strong academics and interest areas, it is time for them to understand whether the current literature relates to the chosen topic of interest. It is significant for the student to understand the crucial questions that still need to be answered. These questions are the main opportunities that help the student find a meaningful and unique topic for their research. Reviewing the existing literature can help them understand this. Students can find literature or existing studies by reading the relevant section of their module or searching for them on Google Scholar. Students must ensure that they find recent studies, say, from the last five years.
Moreover, students must check if their course has an annual review journal type, collecting surveys of the selected topic’s knowledge state. This is a good tool for tracking students’ current knowledge in any area. They can start from the reading list provided in their course. The reference list is found at the end of every journal. Having a look at this list of references will help them in finding more relevant articles. This can be repeated by the snowballing method until a base of almost 20-30 relevant articles of their interest is built up.
Absorb instead of hunting - After doing all these, it is time for students to understand and read the existing theories of their interest area to have a clear understanding of the exact topic of the research study. While reading the existing literature, they must find out what questions people can ask regarding the chosen interest area and how they can be answered. They also must understand the things on which researchers agree and what are the things that they disagree. They also must find out the approaches of research or school of thought. They must know what type of articles interest them and how those articles can help them in their research work. Dissertation is the procedure of settling the research questions and then trying to figure out the answer. Still, it is crucial to figure out whether the questions overlap.
Identifying possible research questions
After understanding the literature, now comes the time to think about what the topic of the research can be. These can be followed by using three approaches.
Approach 1 - It is also significant for students to understand if there is a need to do any further research on the topic they are doing, as each journal has some possible opportunities to be researched further. This will make the research study look genuine and original. It is also essential for students to pay attention to what needs to be researched further and whether some other researcher answers them or not.
Approach 2 - This approach considers whether a well-established theory is relevant within the context of industry or the local market. If the study still needs to cover the national or industry-specific aspects, then there is a good reason to understand the difference within that context. Here, the student can discuss the study based on a well-established theory and make a great research work. However, it is also known that the existing theories and studies are only partially relevant to the exact topic that is being researched. And this is the reason why the research study is not justified. The optimistic view of this approach is that the student can find a topic closer to the defined objective and relevant and exciting. In contrast, the opposing view is that it needs to be produced at the originality level.
Approach 3 - This approach involves brainstorming ideas and doing mind-mapping sessions, utilizing the theory the student found to formulate the research ideas. They must write down all the ideas in a paper and formulate them into questions or problems. The list of topics is now reworded as a question list. It is essential to recheck the literature review to see if the existing study covers any questions. As the study has been done entirely from scratch, it shows the originality of the research.
Narrow down and evaluate.
By following all these steps, students can make a relevant list of research topics. They need to wait for several days and clear their mind on what exact topic they want from the list of topics noted in the research topic list. Here, the student does not have to focus on their ideas but must sit with the research topic list with a more objective viewpoint. From the list, check out if any research topics are not relevant to what they argued or discussed in their dissertation. If there are any, then they must be crossed out. Narrow down the list of topics to 5 and again evaluate whether these studies are relevant and exciting. They must systematically check and evaluate every option by considering the following criteria.
Research questions - It is significant for students to determine the research questions and their supporting sub-questions. These can be clearly defined, and if the student cannot do this, it simply means that the topic is insufficient for the study.
Originality - Originality in a dissertation comes in different forms and does not mean the entire thing must be new. Still, students need to follow the institution's requirements and make their decisions based on the guidelines provided by the institution.
Importance - Research justification is a critical part of the research, an essential research proposal requirement. Hence, it is significant for the researcher to create a convincing argument.
Literature - The academic literature review is one of the contemporary parts of the study. However, it is significant for the student to investigate whether the topic aligns with the literature review.
Requirements of data - Students need to be clear with what they need to answer the basic questions, such as what research approach and methods will be incorporated into the study. Working on the research design is optional, but the students must be able to express how they can explain it in high-level terms. And why this approach method is used.
Feasibility - Students need to be realistic and ask the supervisor to give their advice. The feasibility rate of the responses could be better and are most common. It also makes the best research work into an ordinary or poor research project.
Personal attraction - Personal attraction is one of the essential things that encourages the student to do a good research project. Still, when the student is not attracted to the chosen research topic, they cannot make a good project work. Moreover, personal attraction also builds when the student starts developing skills in themselves, such as skills in statistical analysis, interview skills, software skills, and so on.
Now, it is time to narrow the research topic list to three main short-listed topics after following the above steps. Now, discuss what each of the topics discusses. In what way is the topic original and essential by checking out the existing literature studies? Find out if there are any literature gaps in the study. Lastly, the students must plan how to answer the question and what sub-questions will be used in the study. Now, it is time to ask people from their course to explain what will be investigated in the study, why it is an original work, and how it will fulfill the aims and objectives. Reviewing their friends' and peers' thoughts and viewpoints will make them more transparent about what they can do and finalize their decision.
Making the final decision
The last step for the student to finalize the dissertation topic is committing. The student must choose the topic regarding which he feels most confident. The student must decide after reviewing their opinions and the feedback they received from others. The student must think twice or thrice before considering all the essential points. When the decision is made by planning and reviewing things repeatedly and checking feasibility, students should trust their decision-making process and stick with it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing a topic for a research project is a challenging task to do. While doing a dissertation writing, a student must deal with many issues, and choosing the topic is also similarly daunting. Significantly, students must get good grades in their dissertation as it involves many credit points in the coursework. There are several steps that the students can follow to choose a proper topic for their dissertation. Students must find their interest areas and understand the research process.
Further, they must review the existing literature by understanding what methodologies and processes can be incorporated into their study. After this, the student must review the academic literature by making the research study into an original work. The next step is to identify the possible research problem, which explains if there is a need to do any further research if the research is relevant to the context of the local market or industry, and to brainstorm ideas and put down all the things that are coming to their mind by reviewing all these. Now, it is essential to narrow down the list of topics to 5 topics that can be relevant by considering the literature review, importance, originality, research questions, personal attraction, data requirements, and feasibility. Again, the topic is narrowed down to 3, and now it is time to ask for feedback from their peers and friends and explain the three topics. After getting feedback from others and considering their opinion, they can now decide. And they must trust their decision-making process and stick to them.
Selecting a good dissertation topic: Step by step approach towards a good dissertation
як Melvina Elliott (2023-10-28)
З приводу google
Choosing a topic for research work takes a lot of work to do. Students must understand the importance of choosing a trendy and suitable topic for their dissertation, project, or thesis work. Working on a dissertation or thesis is a daunting task for a student; hence, it is significant for them to choose a topic they may find interesting. And, as these carry credit points in large numbers, students must perform well in their dissertations and score good grades. There are several steps that students can follow to make sure that they choose a research topic that is trendy as well as of high quality. By following the steps discussed below, students can formulate a well-defined and well-suited topic based on the research question of what the student wants to find.
Understanding the process of researchMoreover, the research topic is best understood by the problem or question of the research. The research aims not to establish an encyclopedia of the chosen field of interest but to shedshed light on the chosen issue that needs to be discussed. The steps are discussed below –
More often, it is observed that students make a common mistake by skipping to the main idea directly, and then they must pay for it. They must start by looking at the instructions and handouts their university or institution gave them, expecting what to be added to a dissertation. For instance, the students must see the oral instructions given in class, the course handbook, and online information before jumping directly to the main idea. They need to know what the professor had instructed and what the institution wants and search for relevant online sources, which will make them understand why the institution provides these materials. One of the reasons is that the student needs to have a basic knowledge of the methodologies and process of research, analysis methods, and fieldwork options before starting the process of creativity, or hence, it will happen that the student will not be able to think about their research adequately. So, they must understand the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods. Secondly, institutions or departments give the students specific requirements to complete their research work. For instance, requirements about the originality of the topic, word count, data requirements, methodology, and ethical adherence. Students must be aware of the requirements to save time by searching for relevant topics or ideas. Therefore, the most essential step for choosing a research topic is to make sure that the student is aware of all the instructions and requirements of the institution.
Reviewing existing dissertations or thesisMany individuals have completed dissertations in the past. Their dissertation can help the students by making them understand what methodologies and processes of research can be incorporated into their study. This process is advantageous for students as they can have several ideas by reviewing various studies and then decide what to incorporate into their study. These existing dissertations help the students by making them understand the idea of all the things that they can add to their dissertation, understand how their bibliography looks, how they can write good literature for their research and what methods they can utilize and how these can support the argument presented in the research. Reviewing many dissertations in the interest area will also make the student understand the rigid expectations of the institution about the format and structure of the dissertation or what precisely the institution wants the student to discuss in their chapters, heading of the chapter, order of content, presentation style and much more.
Reviewing the academic literatureAfter understanding the research process, knowing the specific requirements of the institution, and understanding what can be incorporated into the study, students can start with the ideation process. The ideation process is mainly done by seeing the present literature and figuring out what more can be added to the study, making it an original work.
Identifying possible research questionsStarting the ideation process – Students must consider where to search for literature. And the best starting point for searching literature can be the modules. Students must check out their coursework and completed assignments and understand that utilizing the coursework is one of the best theoretical bases for the literature as it involves enough and high caliber for the institution. The topics also will be relevant to their course. They must start by recognizing the modules for which the students have gathered interest and what they have acquired knowledge. They must understand and figure out the best reports, essays, or assignments and be clear about which areas interest them. For instance, while working in a marketing module, students may find trust in organizations or consumers making decisions enjoyable. So, students must understand the relevant areas they are interested in, which have a solid academic importance.
Understanding the current state of knowledge – When the student decides on what topic he will research based on strong academics and interest areas, it is time for them to understand whether the current literature relates to the chosen topic of interest. It is significant for the student to understand the crucial questions that still need to be answered. These questions are the main opportunities that help the student find a meaningful and unique topic for their research. Reviewing the existing literature can help them understand this. Students can find literature or existing studies by reading the relevant section of their module or searching for them on Google Scholar. Students must ensure that they find recent studies, say, from the last five years.
Moreover, students must check if their course has an annual review journal type, collecting surveys of the selected topic’s knowledge state. This is a good tool for tracking students’ current knowledge in any area. They can start from the reading list provided in their course. The reference list is found at the end of every journal. Having a look at this list of references will help them in finding more relevant articles. This can be repeated by the snowballing method until a base of almost 20-30 relevant articles of their interest is built up.
Absorb instead of hunting - After doing all these, it is time for students to understand and read the existing theories of their interest area to have a clear understanding of the exact topic of the research study. While reading the existing literature, they must find out what questions people can ask regarding the chosen interest area and how they can be answered. They also must understand the things on which researchers agree and what are the things that they disagree. They also must find out the approaches of research or school of thought. They must know what type of articles interest them and how those articles can help them in their research work. Dissertation is the procedure of settling the research questions and then trying to figure out the answer. Still, it is crucial to figure out whether the questions overlap.
After understanding the literature, now comes the time to think about what the topic of the research can be. These can be followed by using three approaches.
Narrow down and evaluate.Approach 1 - It is also significant for students to understand if there is a need to do any further research on the topic they are doing, as each journal has some possible opportunities to be researched further. This will make the research study look genuine and original. It is also essential for students to pay attention to what needs to be researched further and whether some other researcher answers them or not.
Approach 2 - This approach considers whether a well-established theory is relevant within the context of industry or the local market. If the study still needs to cover the national or industry-specific aspects, then there is a good reason to understand the difference within that context. Here, the student can discuss the study based on a well-established theory and make a great research work. However, it is also known that the existing theories and studies are only partially relevant to the exact topic that is being researched. And this is the reason why the research study is not justified. The optimistic view of this approach is that the student can find a topic closer to the defined objective and relevant and exciting. In contrast, the opposing view is that it needs to be produced at the originality level.
Approach 3 - This approach involves brainstorming ideas and doing mind-mapping sessions, utilizing the theory the student found to formulate the research ideas. They must write down all the ideas in a paper and formulate them into questions or problems. The list of topics is now reworded as a question list. It is essential to recheck the literature review to see if the existing study covers any questions. As the study has been done entirely from scratch, it shows the originality of the research.
By following all these steps, students can make a relevant list of research topics. They need to wait for several days and clear their mind on what exact topic they want from the list of topics noted in the research topic list. Here, the student does not have to focus on their ideas but must sit with the research topic list with a more objective viewpoint. From the list, check out if any research topics are not relevant to what they argued or discussed in their dissertation. If there are any, then they must be crossed out. Narrow down the list of topics to 5 and again evaluate whether these studies are relevant and exciting. They must systematically check and evaluate every option by considering the following criteria.
Making the final decisionResearch questions - It is significant for students to determine the research questions and their supporting sub-questions. These can be clearly defined, and if the student cannot do this, it simply means that the topic is insufficient for the study.
Originality - Originality in a dissertation comes in different forms and does not mean the entire thing must be new. Still, students need to follow the institution's requirements and make their decisions based on the guidelines provided by the institution.
Importance - Research justification is a critical part of the research, an essential research proposal requirement. Hence, it is significant for the researcher to create a convincing argument.
Literature - The academic literature review is one of the contemporary parts of the study. However, it is significant for the student to investigate whether the topic aligns with the literature review.
Requirements of data - Students need to be clear with what they need to answer the basic questions, such as what research approach and methods will be incorporated into the study. Working on the research design is optional, but the students must be able to express how they can explain it in high-level terms. And why this approach method is used.
Feasibility - Students need to be realistic and ask the supervisor to give their advice. The feasibility rate of the responses could be better and are most common. It also makes the best research work into an ordinary or poor research project.
Personal attraction - Personal attraction is one of the essential things that encourages the student to do a good research project. Still, when the student is not attracted to the chosen research topic, they cannot make a good project work. Moreover, personal attraction also builds when the student starts developing skills in themselves, such as skills in statistical analysis, interview skills, software skills, and so on.
Now, it is time to narrow the research topic list to three main short-listed topics after following the above steps. Now, discuss what each of the topics discusses. In what way is the topic original and essential by checking out the existing literature studies? Find out if there are any literature gaps in the study. Lastly, the students must plan how to answer the question and what sub-questions will be used in the study. Now, it is time to ask people from their course to explain what will be investigated in the study, why it is an original work, and how it will fulfill the aims and objectives. Reviewing their friends' and peers' thoughts and viewpoints will make them more transparent about what they can do and finalize their decision.
The last step for the student to finalize the dissertation topic is committing. The student must choose the topic regarding which he feels most confident. The student must decide after reviewing their opinions and the feedback they received from others. The student must think twice or thrice before considering all the essential points. When the decision is made by planning and reviewing things repeatedly and checking feasibility, students should trust their decision-making process and stick with it.
ConclusionIn conclusion, choosing a topic for a research project is a challenging task to do. While doing a dissertation writing, a student must deal with many issues, and choosing the topic is also similarly daunting. Significantly, students must get good grades in their dissertation as it involves many credit points in the coursework. There are several steps that the students can follow to choose a proper topic for their dissertation. Students must find their interest areas and understand the research process.
Further, they must review the existing literature by understanding what methodologies and processes can be incorporated into their study. After this, the student must review the academic literature by making the research study into an original work. The next step is to identify the possible research problem, which explains if there is a need to do any further research if the research is relevant to the context of the local market or industry, and to brainstorm ideas and put down all the things that are coming to their mind by reviewing all these. Now, it is essential to narrow down the list of topics to 5 topics that can be relevant by considering the literature review, importance, originality, research questions, personal attraction, data requirements, and feasibility. Again, the topic is narrowed down to 3, and now it is time to ask for feedback from their peers and friends and explain the three topics. After getting feedback from others and considering their opinion, they can now decide. And they must trust their decision-making process and stick to them.