how to choose a good topic for research

Selecting a Research Topic: Overview

• Refine your topic
• Background information & facts
• Writing help

Here are some resources to refer to when selecting a topic and preparing to write a paper:

• MIT Writing and Communication Center "Providing free professional advice about all types of writing and speaking to all members of the MIT community."
• Search Our Collections Find books about writing. Search by subject for: english language grammar; report writing handbooks; technical writing handbooks
• Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation Online version of the book that provides examples and tips on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and other writing rules.
• Select a topic

Choosing an interesting research topic is your first challenge. Here are some tips:

• Choose a topic that you are interested in! The research process is more relevant if you care about your topic.
• If your topic is too broad, you will find too much information and not be able to focus.
• Background reading can help you choose and limit the scope of your topic. 
• Review the guidelines on topic selection outlined in your assignment.  Ask your professor or TA for suggestions.
• Refer to lecture notes and required texts to refresh your knowledge of the course and assignment.
• Talk about research ideas with a friend.  S/he may be able to help focus your topic by discussing issues that didn't occur to you at first.
• WHY did you choose the topic?  What interests you about it?  Do you have an opinion about the issues involved?
• WHO are the information providers on this topic?  Who might publish information about it?  Who is affected by the topic?  Do you know of organizations or institutions affiliated with the topic?
• WHAT are the major questions for this topic?  Is there a debate about the topic?  Are there a range of issues and viewpoints to consider?
• WHERE is your topic important: at the local, national or international level?  Are there specific places affected by the topic?
• WHEN is/was your topic important?  Is it a current event or an historical issue?  Do you want to compare your topic by time periods?

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113 Great Research Paper Topics

General Education

One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

• Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
• Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
• How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
• How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
• How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
• How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

• What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
• How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
• How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
• Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
• What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
• What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
• How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
• How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
• How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
• What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
• What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
• What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
• Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
• Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
• Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
• Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
• Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
• Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
• How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
• Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
• What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
• How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
• What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
• Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
• Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
• Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
• How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
• Should graduate students be able to form unions?

• What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
• How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
• Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
• How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
• How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
• Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
• Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
• Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
• Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
• Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
• Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
• Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
• Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
• Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
• How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
• How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
• What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
• What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
• Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
• What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
• What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
• Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
• Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
• Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
• What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
• How does stress affect the body?
• Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
• What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
• Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
• How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
• Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
• What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
• What were the causes of the Civil War?
• How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
• Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
• What caused Hitler's rise to power?
• Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
• What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
• How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
• What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

• Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
• Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
• How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
• How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
• What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
• What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
• How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

• How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
• How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
• Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
• Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
• How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
• How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
• What are the pros and cons of fracking?
• What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
• What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
• How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
• Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
• Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
• What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
• What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
• How are black holes created?
• Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
• How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
• Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
• How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
• Has social media made people more or less connected?
• What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
• Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
• What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
• How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
• When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
• Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

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Choosing a Research Topic

• Starting Points

Where to Find Ideas

Persuasive paper assignments, dissertations and theses.

• From Idea to Search
• Make It Manageable

If you are starting a research project and would like some help choosing the best topic, this guide is for you.  Start by asking yourself these questions:

What does your instructor require? What interests you? What information sources can support your research? What is doable in the time you have?

While keeping these questions in mind, find suggestions in this guide to select a topic, turn that topic into a database search, and make your research manageable.  You will also find more information in our About the Research Process guide.

Whether your instructor has given a range of possible topics to you or you have to come up with a topic on your own, you could benefit from these activities:  

Consult Course Materials If a reading, film, or other resource is selected by your instructor, the subject of it is important to the course. You can often find inspiration for a paper in these materials.

• Is a broad topic presented?  You can focus on a specific aspect of that topic.  For example, if your class viewed a film on poverty in the United States, you could look at poverty in a specific city or explore how poverty affects Americans of a specific gender, ethnic group, or age range.
• Are experts presented, quoted, or cited?  Look up their work in BU Libraries Search or Google Scholar .

Use Background Sources If you've identified one or more topics you'd like to investigate further, look them up in an encyclopedia, handbook, or other background information source.  Here are some good places to start.

Online version of Encyclopædia Britannica along Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and periodicals and other reference sources.

• Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window Published by Oxford University Press, it is a fully-indexed, cross-searchable database containing dictionaries, language reference and subject reference works.

Explore the Scholarly Literature Ask your instructor or a librarian to guide you to the top journals in the field you're studying.  Scanning the tables of contents within these journals will provide some inspiration for your research project.  As a bonus, each of the articles in these journals will have a bibliography that will lead you to related articles, books, and other materials.

Ask a Librarian We are here to help you!  You can request a consultation or contact us by email or through our chat service .  We can help you identify what interests you, where to find more about it, and how to narrow the topic to something manageable in the time you have.

If your assignment entails persuading a reader to adopt a position, you can conduct your research in the same way you would with any other research project. The biggest mistake you can make, however, is choosing a position before you start your research.   Instead, the information you consult should inform your position.  Researching before choosing a position is also much easier; you will be able to explore all sides of a topic rather than limiting yourself to one.

If you would like examples of debates on controversial topics, try these resources:

Covers the most current and controversial issues of the day with summaries, pros and cons, bibliographies and more. Provides reporting and analysis on issues in the news, including issues relating to health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.

• New York Times: Room for Debate Selections from the New York Times' opinion pages.
• ProCon.org Created by Britannica, this site exposes readers to two sides of timely arguments. Each article includes a bibliography of suggested resources.

If you are writing a dissertation or thesis, you will find more specialized information at our Guide for Writers of Theses and Dissertations .

If you would like to find published dissertations and theses, please use this database:

This database contains indexing and abstracts of American doctoral dissertations accepted at accredited institutions since 1861 and a selection from other countries. Masters level theses are included selectively.

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• URL: https://library.bu.edu/choosing-a-topic

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The first step of any research paper is for the student to understand the assignment. If this is not done, the student will often travel down many dead-end roads, wasting a great deal of time along the way. Do not hesitate to approach the instructor with questions if there is any confusion. A clear understanding of the assignment will allow you to focus on other aspects of the process, such as choosing a topic and identifying your audience.

A student will often encounter one of two situations when it comes to choosing a topic for a research paper. The first situation occurs when the instructor provides a list of topics from which the student may choose. These topics have been deemed worthy by the instructor; therefore, the student should be confident in the topic he chooses from the list. Many first-time researchers appreciate such an arrangement by the instructor because it eliminates the stress of having to decide upon a topic on their own.

However, the student may also find the topics that have been provided to be limiting; moreover, it is not uncommon for the student to have a topic in mind that does not fit with any of those provided. If this is the case, it is always beneficial to approach the instructor with one's ideas. Be respectful, and ask the instructor if the topic you have in mind would be a possible research option for the assignment. Remember, as a first-time researcher, your knowledge of the process is quite limited; the instructor is experienced, and may have very precise reasons for choosing the topics she has offered to the class. Trust that she has the best interests of the class in mind. If she likes the topic, great! If not, do not take it personally and choose the topic from the list that seems most interesting to you.

The second situation occurs when the instructor simply hands out an assignment sheet that covers the logistics of the research paper, but leaves the choice of topic up to the student. Typically, assignments in which students are given the opportunity to choose the topic require the topic to be relevant to some aspect of the course; so, keep this in mind as you begin a course in which you know there will be a research paper near the end. That way, you can be on the lookout for a topic that may interest you. Do not be anxious on account of a perceived lack of authority or knowledge about the topic chosen. Instead, realize that it takes practice to become an experienced researcher in any field.

For a discussion of Evaluating Sources, see Evaluating Sources of Information .

Methods for choosing a topic

Thinking early leads to starting early. If the student begins thinking about possible topics when the assignment is given, she has already begun the arduous, yet rewarding, task of planning and organization. Once she has made the assignment a priority in her mind, she may begin to have ideas throughout the day. Brainstorming is often a successful way for students to get some of these ideas down on paper. Seeing one's ideas in writing is often an impetus for the writing process. Though brainstorming is particularly effective when a topic has been chosen, it can also benefit the student who is unable to narrow a topic. It consists of a timed writing session during which the student jots down—often in list or bulleted form—any ideas that come to his mind. At the end of the timed period, the student will peruse his list for patterns of consistency. If it appears that something seems to be standing out in his mind more than others, it may be wise to pursue this as a topic possibility.

It is important for the student to keep in mind that an initial topic that you come up with may not be the exact topic about which you end up writing. Research topics are often fluid, and dictated more by the student's ongoing research than by the original chosen topic. Such fluidity is common in research, and should be embraced as one of its many characteristics.

The Purdue OWL also offers a number of other resources on choosing and developing a topic:

• Understanding Writing Assignments
• Starting the Writing Process
• Invention Slide Presentation

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Research 101 (A How-to Guide): Step 1. Choose a topic

• Step 1. Choose a topic
• Step 2. Get background information
• Step 3. Create a search strategy
• Step 4. Find books and e-books
• Step 5. Find articles
• Step 6. Evaluate your sources
• Step 7. Cite your sources

Step 1. Choose a Topic

Choosing an interesting research topic can be challenging.  This video tutorial will help you select and properly scope your topic by employing questioning, free writing, and mind mapping techniques so that you can formulate a research question.

Good Sources for Finding a Topic

• CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Browse the "hot topics" on the right hand side for inspiration.
• 401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing, New York Times Great questions to consider for argumentative essays.
• ProCon.org Facts, news, and thousands of diverse opinions on controversial issues in a pro-con format.
• Room For Debate, New York Times This website, created by editorial staff from the New York Times, explores close to 1,500 news events and other timely issues. Knowledgeable outside contributors provide subject background and readers may contribute their own views. Great help for choosing a topic!
• US News & World Report: Debate Club Pro/Con arguments on current issues.
• Writing Prompts, New York Times New York Times Opinion articles that are geared toward students and invite comment.

Tips for Choosing a Topic

• Choose a topic that interests you!   
• Pick a manageable topic, not too broad, not too narrow. Reading background info can help you choose and limit the scope of your topic.
• Review lecture notes and class readings for ideas.
• Check with your instructor to make sure your topic fits with the assignment.

Picking your topic IS research!

• Developing a Research Question Worksheet

Mind Mapping Tools

Mind mapping, a visual form of brainstorming, is an effective technique for developing a topic.  Here are some free tools to create mind maps.

• Bubbl.us Free account allows you to save 3 mind maps, download as image or HTML, and share with others.
• Coggle Sign in with your Google account to create maps that you can download as PDF or PNG or share with others.
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• Next: Step 2. Get background information >>
• Last Updated: Sep 24, 2024 11:45 AM
• URL: https://libguides.depaul.edu/research101

How to select a topic for your research paper

As an early-career researcher, selecting a topic for your research paper for potential publication can be both exciting and daunting. Fortunately, there is a well-established pathway to follow. Here we share some tips and advice that will help you navigate the process smoothly.

Consult your colleagues

First, talk to colleagues, such as members of your research group, to spark ideas, reveal novel angles for research, and flag up knowledge gaps in existing literature. Draw on senior colleagues’ expertise: talk with them, ask questions, and listen.

As you identify potential topics don’t lose sight of the fact that will you be investigating the one you chose for several, perhaps many, years. Ideally, you will select a topic that really interests and engages you now and that will continue to do so in the future.

Review the existing literature

Once you have your research idea - or at least a short list of possibilities - you will need to methodically review existing literature on the topic. This will help you get up to speed with the latest thinking, pinpoint what makes your idea different and clarify how it will expand current knowledge.

Identify keywords within your topic and use these in your literature searches. Multiple resources are at your disposal: some are open-source and others will be accessible via your university’s library.  Wiley Online Library ,  JSTOR ,  ResearchGate  and  EBSCO  are useful starting points and contain millions of journal articles and eBooks. Specialist databases, such as  Medline  and  Project Muse , help hone searches within specific subject areas.

Don’t forget to tap into social media platforms, such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Gold Open Access publishers like Hindawi, who offer free access to all, will regularly share high impact papers and the latest research in specialist fields on their social channels.

As you review the literature, be methodical: identify themes, look for knowledge gaps, and evaluate previous methodologies and results. Ask yourself:

• What are the current theories and latest thinking?
• What are the debates?
• Is the topic contentious?
• If so, what are the consequences within academia and wider society?

Remember to keep an open mind: a literature review may yield unexpected findings that make you want to rethink your idea or even take an entirely new direction.

Checklist the key questions

Devising a checklist of key questions will help keep you on track as you review the literature and refine your idea. Questions could include:

• Is my proposed topic too broad or too narrow?
• Is it important and interesting?
• What might the implications of my research be?
• How does it fit with and/or challenge existing knowledge?

Keep your checklist handy throughout the process from initial ideas until final topic selection.

Thinking ahead is also prudent. Targeting the right journal to publish your work - one that is a good fit for your topic - will be important for future success. If you already have a journal in mind, scrutinize what they are publishing and familiarize yourself with their submission processes. If you are still looking for a journal to publish your manuscript, make sure to read the aims and scope of a journal to decide if it is the right fit for your research. Choosing a topic for your research paper takes effort but there is an established pathway to follow.

Tapping into the expertise around you, methodically reviewing existing literature and keeping an open mind will help you select a topic that is important, relevant and engaging - both to readers of your research and to yourself.

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This blog post is distributed under the  Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY) Illustration adapted from Adobe Stock by David Jury.

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• Spartanburg Community College Library
• SCC Research Guides
• Choosing a Research Topic
• What Makes a Good Research Topic?

Before diving into how to choose a research topic, it is important to think about what are some elements of a good research topic. Of course, this will depend specifically on your research project, but a good research topic will always:

• Relate to the assignment itself. Even when you have a choice for your research topic, you still want to make sure your chosen topic lines up with your class assignment sheet.
• A topic that is too broad will give you too many sources, and it will be hard to focus your research.
• A topic that is too narrow will not give you enough sources, if you can find any sources at all.
• Is debatable. This is important if you are researching a topic that you will have to argue a position for. Good topics have more than one side to the issue and cannot be resolved with a simple yes or no.
• Should be interesting to you! It's more fun to do research on a topic that you are interested in as opposed to one you are not interested in.

Remember, it is common and normal if your research topic changes as you start brainstorming and doing some background research on your topic.

Start with a General Idea

As an example, let's say you were writing a paper about issues relating to college students 

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• Next: 1. Concept Mapping >>
• 1. Concept Mapping
• 2. Background Research
• 3. Narrow Your Topic / Thesis Statements

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• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 1:21 PM
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Research Process: An Overview: Choosing a Topic

• Choosing a Topic
• Refining Your Topic
• Finding Information
• Evaluating Your Sources
• Database Searching
• APA Citation This link opens in a new window
• Topic selection
• Brainstorm Questions
• Tip: Keywords
• Finding Topic Ideas Online

Read Background Information

Tip: keywords.

Keywords are the main terms that describe your research question or topic.   Keep track of these words so you can use them when searching for books and articles.

• Identify the main concepts in your research question. Typically there should only be two or three main concepts.
• Look for keywords that best describe these concepts.
• You can look for keywords when reading background information or encyclopedia articles on your topic
• Use a thesaurus, your textbook and subject headings in databases to find different keywords.

Related Research Guides

APA Citation

Click through the tabs to learn the basics, find examples, and watch video tutorials.

English Writing Skills

This guide supports academic and business writing, including a basic review of grammar fundamentals, writing guides, video tutorials on business writing, and resources for the TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE exams.

Getting Started

Topic selection.

Choosing your topic is the first step in the research process. Be aware that selecting a good topic may not be easy. It must be narrow and focused enough to be interesting, yet broad enough to find adequate information. 

For help getting started on the writing process go to the  GGU Online Writing Lab (Writing tutor) where you can set up and appointment with a writing tutor.

#1 Research ti p:  Pick a topic that interests you.  You are going to live with this topic for weeks while you research, read, and write your assignment. Choose something that will hold your interest and that you might even be excited about. Your attitude towards your topic will come across in your writing or presentation!

Brainstorming  is a technique you can use to help you generate ideas. Below are brainstorming exercises and resources to help you come up with research topic ideas. 

Brainstorming Topic Ideas

Ask yourself the following questions to help you generate topic ideas:

Do you have a strong opinion on a current social or political controversy?

Did you read or see a news story recently that has interested you, do you have a personal issue, problem or interest that you would like to know more about, is there an aspect of one of your classes that you would like to learn more about.

Other brainstorming guides

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is an effective means to take notes and brainstorm essay topics. a mind map involves writing down a central theme and thinking of new and related., creative concepts, concept mapping is a way of making notes by creating a visual diagram of the concepts and information. it helps you to create multiple “pathways” in your mind to connect the information and better retain it for future use., concept mapping, this worksheet will walk you through a process for concept-mapping., finding topic ideas, topic ideas.

Try the resources below to help you get ideas for possible research topics:

• CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Coverage of the most important issues and controversies of the day, including pro-con analysis. Help Video
• Google News This site provides national and international news on a variety of subjects gathered from over 4,000 sources.
• Article & News Databases Use the Library's Articles and News databases to browse contents of current magazines and newspapers. If you do not know how to browse current issues ask a librarian for help.

Background Information

Read an encyclopedia article on the top two or three topics you are considering. Reading a broad summary enables you to get an overview of the topic and see how your idea relates to broader, narrower, and related issues. If you cant find an article on your topic, ask a librarian for help.

• Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window The Gale Virtual Reference Library contains several business focused encyclopedias such as The Encyclopedia of Management and The Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries which may provide background information on possible topics.
• Article & News Databases Use the Library's Articles and News databases to search for brief articles on your topic ideas.
• SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window Hundreds of encyclopedias and handbooks on key topics in the social and behavioral sciences. User Guide

• SAGE Research Methods This link opens in a new window

Ask A Librarian

Email questions to [email protected] . 

Available during normal business hours.

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• Next: Refining Your Topic >>
• Last Updated: Sep 24, 2024 11:49 AM
• URL: https://ggu.libguides.com/research

• How to Choose a PhD Research Topic
• Finding a PhD

Introduction

Whilst there are plenty of resources available to help prospective PhD students find doctoral programmes, deciding on a research topic is a process students often find more difficult.

Some advertised PhD programmes have predefined titles, so the exact topic is decided already. Generally, these programmes exist mainly in STEM, though other fields also have them. Funded projects are more likely to have defined titles, and structured aims and objectives.

Self funded projects, and those in fields such as arts and humanities, are less likely to have defined titles. The flexibility of topic selection means more scope exists for applicants to propose research ideas and suit the topic of research to their interests.

A middle ground also exists where Universities advertise funded PhD programmes in subjects without a defined scope, for example: “PhD Studentship in Biomechanics”. The applicant can then liaise with the project supervisor to choose a particular title such as “A study of fatigue and impact resistance of biodegradable knee implants”.

If a predefined programme is not right for you, then you need to propose your own research topic. There are several factors to consider when choosing a good research topic, which will be outlined in this article.

How to Choose a Research Topic

Our first piece of advice is to PhD candidates is to stop thinking about ‘finding’ a research topic, as it is unlikely that you will. Instead, think about developing a research topic (from research and conversations with advisors).

Consider several ideas and critically appraise them:

• You must be able to explain to others why your chosen topic is worth studying.
• You must be genuinely interested in the subject area.
• You must be competent and equipped to answer the research question.
• You must set achievable and measurable aims and objectives.
• You need to be able to achieve your objectives within a given timeframe.
• Your research question must be original and contribute to the field of study.

We have outlined the key considerations you should use when developing possible topics. We explore these below:

Focus on your interests and career aspirations

It is important to choose a topic of research that you are genuinely interested in. The decision you make will shape the rest of your career. Remember, a full-time programme lasts 3-4 years, and there will be unforeseen challenges during this time. If you are not passionate about the study, you will struggle to find motivation during these difficult periods.

You should also look to your academic and professional background. If there are any modules you undertook as part of your Undergraduate/Master degree that you particularly enjoyed or excelled in? These could form part of your PhD research topic. Similarly, if you have professional work experience, this could lead to you asking questions which can only be answered through research.

When deciding on a PhD research topic you should always consider your long-term career aspirations. For example, as a physicist, if you wish to become an astrophysicist, a research project studying black holes would be more relevant to you than a research project studying nuclear fission.

Read dissertations and published journals

Reading dissertations and published journals is a great way to identify potential PhD topics. When reviewing existing research ask yourself:

• What has been done and what do existing results show?
• What did previous projects involve (e.g. lab-work or fieldwork)?
• How often are papers published in the field?
• Are your research ideas original?
• Is there value in your research question?
• Could I expand on or put my own spin on this research?

Reading dissertations will also give you an insight into the practical aspects of doctoral study, such as what methodology the author used, how much data analysis was required and how was information presented.

You can also think of this process as a miniature literature review . You are searching for gaps in knowledge and developing a PhD project to address them. Focus on recent publications (e.g. in the last five years). In particular, the literature review of recent publications will give an excellent summary of the state of existing knowledge, and what research questions remain unanswered.

If you have the opportunity to attend an academic conference, go for it! This is often an excellent way to find out current theories in the industry and the research direction. This knowledge could reveal a possible research idea or topic for further study.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Discuss research topic ideas with a PhD supervisor

Discuss your research topic ideas with a supervisor. This could be your current undergraduate/masters supervisor, or potential supervisors of advertised PhD programmes at different institutions. Come to these meetings prepared with initial PhD topic ideas, and your findings from reading published journals. PhD supervisors will be more receptive to your ideas if you can demonstrate you have thought about them and are committed to your research.

You should discuss your research interests, what you have found through reading publications, and what you are proposing to research. Supervisors who have expertise in your chosen field will have insight into the gaps in knowledge that exist, what is being done to address them, and if there is any overlap between your proposed research ideas and ongoing research projects.

Talking to an expert in the field can shape your research topic to something more tangible, which has clear aims and objectives. It can also find potential shortfalls of your PhD ideas.

It is important to remember, however, that although it is good to develop your research topic based on feedback, you should not let the supervisor decide a topic for you. An interesting topic for a supervisor may not be interesting to you, and a supervisor is more likely to advise on a topic title which lends itself to a career in academia.

Another tip is to talk to a PhD student or researcher who is involved in a similar research project. Alternatively, you can usually find a relevant research group within your University to talk to. They can explain in more detail their experiences and suggest what your PhD programme could involve with respect to daily routines and challenges.

Look at advertised PhD Programmes

Use our Search tool , or look on University PhD listing pages to identify advertised PhD programmes for ideas.

• What kind of PhD research topics are available?
• Are these similar to your ideas?
• Are you interested in any of these topics?
• What do these programmes entail?

The popularity of similar PhD programmes to your proposed topic is a good indicator that universities see value in the research area. The final bullet point is perhaps the most valuable takeaway from looking at advertised listings. Review what similar programmes involve, and whether this is something you would like to do. If so, a similar research topic would allow you to do this.

Writing a Research Proposal

As part of the PhD application process , you may be asked to summarise your proposed research topic in a research proposal. This is a document which summarises your intended research and will include the title of your proposed project, an Abstract, Background and Rationale, Research Aims and Objectives, Research Methodology, Timetable, and a Bibliography. If you are required to submit this document then read our guidance on how to write a research proposal for your PhD application.

Browse PhDs Now

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How to Write a Research Paper: Choosing Your Topic

Choosing Your Topic

• Citation & Style Guides This link opens in a new window
• Critical Thinking
• Evaluating Information
• Parts of the Paper
• Writing Tips from UNC-Chapel Hill
• Librarian Contact

• Choose a topic you are interested in, and can find information about.
• Your opinion of the topic might change as you conduct your research and find out more about the subject.
• Choose a topic that is not too broad or too narrow. The first will be hard to keep focused and the second might be hard to find information about.

Rethinking Your Topic

You may discover that you’re looking for information by search terms that are not the most effective. Databases use search terminology called Subject Terms . Find these descriptive words to help with your search. For example: "death penalty" is often classified as "capital punishment."

Write all of those search terms down to keep track of them. These terms might give you new ways of thinking about your topic.. Maybe come up with a question or two for things you’re curious about. Those questions will help you focus your paper.

Narrowing Your Topic

After you have found some information, try to narrow your topic. If your topic is too broad, it will be hard to keep a focus in your paper and the information range will be too large. Adjust your topic to a topic field that is specific enough to research without having large amounts of articles, but still general enough to have some relevant information sources.

• Next: Citation & Style Guides >>
• Last Updated: Feb 13, 2024 8:35 AM
• URL: https://libguides.ucc.edu/research_paper

Choosing a Research Topic: Home

Picking a research topic.

Choosing a research topic can be one of the most difficult parts of the research process. Watch the video to learn how to pick a relevant and interesting topic.

Choosing a Research Topic

How to choose a research topic.

1. Begin choosing a research topic by reading the assignment description to make sure you understand the assignment requirements. Are there things you can or cannot research? How long is the paper? Are you required to find scholarly sources?

2. Next, you want to identify a topic that you care about. Caring about a topic will result in a better paper and make the process more enjoyable for you. What are you interested in? What issues personally affect you? What are current issues in your field of study? You can also use CQ Researcher to browse topic ideas.

3. After you have brainstormed several areas you are interested in, an effective way of developing a topic is combining 2-3 of your interests to pick a topic that is unique to you. 

4. After you have identified a topic you care about, conduct an initial search about your topic in a database.

5. Combining your interests with initial research can help you learn more about your topic and the angle you want to pursue.

6. As you continue the research process, it is inevitable that your topic will change or evolve.

• Last Updated: Sep 9, 2024 5:29 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usu.edu/research_topic

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

How To Find A High-Quality Research Topic

6 steps to find & evaluate high-quality dissertation/thesis topics.

By: Caroline Osella (PhD, BA)  and Derek Jansen (MBA) | July 2019

So, you’re finally nearing the end of your degree and it’s now time to find a suitable topic for your dissertation or thesis. Or perhaps you’re just starting out on your PhD research proposal and need to find a suitable area of research for your application proposal.

In this post, we’ll provide a straightforward 6-step process that you can follow to ensure you arrive at a high-quality research topic . Follow these steps and you will formulate a well-suited, well-defined core research question .

There’s a helpful clue already: your research ‘topic’ is best understood as a research question or a problem . Your aim is not to create an encyclopedia entry into your field, but rather to shed light on an acknowledged issue that’s being debated (or needs to be). Think research  questions , not research  topics  (we’ll come back to this later).

Overview: How To Find A Research Topic

• Get an understanding of the research process
• Review previous dissertations from your university
• Review the academic literature to start the ideation process
• Identify your potential research questions (topics) and shortlist
• Narrow down, then evaluate your research topic shortlist
• Make the decision (and stick with it!)

Step 1: Understand the research process

It may sound horribly obvious, but it’s an extremely common mistake – students skip past the fundamentals straight to the ideation phase (and then pay dearly for it).

Start by looking at whatever handouts and instructions you’ve been given regarding what your university/department expects of a dissertation. For example, the course handbook, online information and verbal in-class instructions. I know it’s tempting to just dive into the ideation process, but it’s essential to start with the prescribed material first.

There are two important reasons for this:

First , you need to have a basic understanding of the research process , research methodologies , fieldwork options and analysis methods before you start the ideation process, or you will simply not be equipped to think about your own research adequately. If you don’t understand the basics of  quantitative , qualitative and mixed methods BEFORE you start ideating, you’re wasting your time.

Second , your university/department will have specific requirements for your research – for example, requirements in terms of topic originality, word count, data requirements, ethical adherence , methodology, etc. If you are not aware of these from the outset, you will again end up wasting a lot of time on irrelevant ideas/topics.

So, the most important first step is to get your head around both the basics of research (especially methodologies), as well as your institution’s specific requirements . Don’t give in to the temptation to jump ahead before you do this. As a starting point, be sure to check out our free dissertation course.

Step 2: Review past dissertations/theses

Unless you’re undertaking a completely new course, there will be many, many students who have gone through the research process before and have produced successful dissertations, which you can use to orient yourself. This is hugely beneficial – imagine being able to see previous students’ assignments and essays when you were doing your coursework!

Take a look at some well-graded (65% and above) past dissertations from your course (ideally more recent ones, as university requirements may change over time). These are usually available in the university’s online library. Past dissertations will act as a helpful model for all kinds of things, from how long a bibliography needs to be, to what a good literature review looks like, through to what kinds of methods you can use – and how to leverage them to support your argument.

As you peruse past dissertations, ask yourself the following questions:

• What kinds of topics did these dissertations cover and how did they turn the topic into questions?
• How broad or narrow were the topics?
• How original were the topics? Were they truly groundbreaking or just a localised twist on well-established theory?
• How well justified were the topics? Did they seem important or just nice to know?
• How much literature did they draw on as a theoretical base? Was the literature more academic or applied in nature?
• What kinds of research methods did they use and what data did they draw on?
• How did they analyse that data and bring it into the discussion of the academic literature?
• Which of the dissertations are most readable to you – why? How were they presented?
• Can you see why these dissertations were successful? Can you relate what they’ve done back to the university’s instructions/brief?

Seeing a variety of dissertations (at least 5, ideally in your area of interest) will also help you understand whether your university has very rigid expectations in terms of structure and format , or whether they expect and allow variety in the number of chapters, chapter headings, order of content, style of presentation and so on.

Some departments accept graphic novels; some are willing to grade free-flow continental-philosophy style arguments; some want a highly rigid, standardised structure.  Many offer a dissertation template , with information on how marks are split between sections. Check right away whether you have been given one of those templates – and if you do, then use it and don’t try to deviate or reinvent the wheel.

Step 3: Review the academic literature

Now that you (1) understand the research process, (2) understand your university’s specific requirements for your dissertation or thesis, and (3) have a feel for what a good dissertation looks like, you can start the ideation process. This is done by reviewing the current literature and looking for opportunities to add something original to the academic conversation.

Kick start the ideation process

So, where should you start your literature hunt? The best starting point is to get back to your modules. Look at your coursework and the assignments you did. Using your coursework is the best theoretical base, as you are assured that (1) the literature is of a high enough calibre for your university and (2) the topics are relevant to your specific course.

Start by identifying the modules that interested you the most and that you understood well (i.e. earned good marks for). What were your strongest assignments, essays or reports? Which areas within these were particularly interesting to you? For example, within a marketing module, you may have found consumer decision making or organisation trust to be interesting. Create a shortlist of those areas that you were both interested in and academically strong at. It’s no use picking an area that does not genuinely interest you – you’ll run out of motivation if you’re not excited by a topic.

Understand the current state of knowledge

Once you’ve done that, you need to get an understanding of the current state of the literature for your chosen interest areas. What you’re aiming to understand is this: what is the academic conversation here and what critical questions are yet unanswered? These unanswered questions are prime opportunities for a unique, meaningful research topic . A quick review of the literature on your favourite topics will help you understand this.

Grab your reading list from the relevant section of the modules, or simply enter the topics into Google Scholar . Skim-read 3-5 journal articles from the past 5 years which have at least 5 citations each (Google Scholar or a citations index will show you how many citations any given article has – i.e., how many other people have referred to it in their own bibliography). Also, check to see if your discipline has an ‘annual review’ type of journal, which gathers together surveys of the state of knowledge on a chosen topic. This can be a great tool for fast-tracking your understanding of the current state of the knowledge in any given area.

Start from your course’s reading list and work outwards. At the end of every journal article, you’ll find a reference list. Scan this reference list for more relevant articles and read those. Then repeat the process (known as snowballing) until you’ve built up a base of 20-30 quality articles per area of interest.

Absorb, don’t hunt

At this stage, your objective is to read and understand the current state of the theory for your area(s) of interest – you don’t need to be in topic-hunting mode yet. Don’t jump the gun and try to identify research topics before you are well familiarised with the literature.

As you read, try to understand what kinds of questions people are asking and how they are trying to answer them. What matters do the researchers agree on, and more importantly, what are they in disagreement about? Disagreements are prime research territory. Can you identify different ‘schools of thought’ or different ‘approaches’? Do you know what your own approach or slant is? What kinds of articles appeal to you and which ones bore you or leave you feeling like you’ve not really grasped them? Which ones interest you and point towards directions you’d like to research and know more about?

Once you understand the fundamental fact that academic knowledge is a conversation, things get easier.

Think of it like a party. There are groups of people in the room, enjoying conversations about various things. Which group do you want to join?  You don’t want to be that person in the corner, talking to themself. And you don’t want to be the hanger-on, laughing at the big-shot’s jokes and repeating everything they say.

Do you want to join a large group and try to make a small contribution to what’s going on, or are you drawn to a smaller group that’s having a more niche conversation, but where you feel you might more easily find something original to contribute? How many conversations can you identify? Which ones feel closer to you and more attractive? Which ones repel you or leave you cold? Are there some that, frankly, you just don’t understand?

Now, choose a couple of groups who are discussing something you feel interested in and where you feel like you might want to contribute. You want to make your entry into this group by asking a question – a question that will make the other people in the group turn around and look at you, listen to you, and think, “That’s interesting”.

Your dissertation will be the process of setting that question and then trying to find at least a partial answer to that question – but don’t worry about that now.  Right now, you need to work out what conversations are going on, whether any of them are related or overlapping, and which ones you might be able to walk into. I’ll explain how you find that question in the next step.

Need a helping hand?

Step 4: Identify potential research questions

Now that you have a decent understanding of the state of the literature in your area(s) of interest, it’s time to start developing your list of possible research topics. There are (at least) three approaches you can follow here, and they are not mutually exclusive:

Approach 1: Leverage the FRIN

Towards the end of most quality journal articles, you will find a section labelled “ further research ” or something similar. Generally, researchers will clearly outline where they feel further research is needed (FRIN), following on from their own research. So, essentially, every journal article presents you with a list of potential research opportunities.

Of course, only a handful of these will be both practical and of interest to you, so it’s not a quick-fix solution to finding a research topic. However, the benefit of going this route is that you will be able to find a genuinely original and meaningful research topic (which is particularly important for PhD-level research).

The upside to this approach is originality, but the downside is that you might not find something that really interests you , or that you have the means to execute. If you do go this route, make sure that you pay attention to the journal article dates, as the FRIN may already have been “solved” by other researchers if the article is old.

Approach 2: Put a context-based spin on an existing topic

The second option is to consider whether a theory which is already well established is relevant within a local or industry-specific context. For example, a theory about the antecedents (drivers) of trust is very well established, but there may be unique or uniquely important drivers within a specific national context or industry (for example, within the financial services industry in an emerging market).

If that industry or national context has not yet been covered by researchers and there is a good reason to believe there may be meaningful differences within that context, then you have an opportunity to take a unique angle on well-established theory, which can make for a great piece of research. It is however imperative that you have a good reason to believe that the existing theory may not be wholly relevant within your chosen context, or your research will not be justified.

The upside to this approach is that you can potentially find a topic that is “closer to home” and more relevant and interesting to you , while still being able to draw on a well-established body of theory. However, the downside is that this approach will likely not produce the level of originality as approach #1.

Approach 3: Uncensored brainstorming

The third option is to skip the FRIN, as well as the local/industry-specific angle and simply engage in a freeform brainstorming or mind-mapping session, using your newfound knowledge of the theory to formulate potential research ideas. What’s important here is that you do not censor yourself . However crazy, unfeasible, or plain stupid your topic appears – write it down. All that matters right now is that you are interested in this thing.

Next, try to turn the topic(s) into a question or problem. For example:

• What is the relationship between X, Y & Z?
• What are the drivers/antecedents of X?
• What are the outcomes of Y?
• What are the key success factors for Z?

Re-word your list of topics or issues into a list of questions .  You might find at this stage that one research topic throws up three questions (which then become sub-topics and even new separate topics in their own right) and in so doing, the list grows. Let it. Don’t hold back or try to start evaluating your ideas yet – just let them flow onto paper.

Once you’ve got a few topics and questions on paper, check the literature again to see whether any of these have been covered by the existing research. Since you came up with these from scratch, there is a possibility that your original literature search did not cover them, so it’s important to revisit that phase to ensure that you’re familiar with the relevant literature for each idea. You may also then find that approach #1 and #2 can be used to build on these ideas.

Try use all three approaches

As mentioned earlier, the three approaches discussed here are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the more, the merrier. Hopefully, you manage to utilise all three, as this will give you the best odds of producing a rich list of ideas, which you can then narrow down and evaluate, which is the next step.

Step 5: Narrow down, then evaluate

By this stage, you should have a healthy list of research topics. Step away from the ideation and thinking for a few days, clear your mind. The key is to get some distance from your ideas, so that you can sit down with your list and review it with a more objective view. The unbridled ideation phase is over and now it’s time to take a reality check .

Look at your list and see if any options can be crossed off right away .  Maybe you don’t want to do that topic anymore. Maybe the topic turned out to be too broad and threw up 20 hard to answer questions. Maybe all the literature you found about it was 30 years old and you suspect it might not be a very engaging contemporary issue . Maybe this topic is so over-researched that you’ll struggle to find anything fresh to say. Also, after stepping back, it’s quite common to notice that 2 or 3 of your topics are really the same one, the same question, which you’ve written down in slightly different ways. You can try to amalgamate these into one succinct topic.

Narrow down to the top 5, then evaluate

Now, take your streamlined list and narrow it down to the ‘top 5’ that interest you the most. Personal interest is your key evaluation criterion at this stage. Got your ‘top 5’?  Great!  Now, with a cool head and your best analytical mind engaged, go systematically through each option and evaluate them against the following criteria:

Research questions – what is the main research question, and what are the supporting sub-questions? It’s critically important that you can define these questions clearly and concisely. If you cannot do this, it means you haven’t thought the topic through sufficiently.

Originality – is the topic sufficiently original, as per your university’s originality requirements? Are you able to add something unique to the existing conversation? As mentioned earlier, originality can come in many forms, and it doesn’t mean that you need to find a completely new, cutting-edge topic. However, your university’s requirements should guide your decision-making here.

Importance – is the topic of real significance, or is it just a “nice to know”? If it’s significant, why? Who will benefit from finding the answer to your desired questions and how will they benefit? Justifying your research will be a key requirement for your research proposal , so it’s really important to develop a convincing argument here.

Literature – is there a contemporary (current) body of academic literature around this issue? Is there enough literature for you to base your investigation on, but not too much that the topic is “overdone”? Will you be able to navigate this literature or is it overwhelming?

Data requirements – What kind of data would you need access to in order to answer your key questions?  Would you need to adopt a qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods approach to answer your questions? At this stage, you don’t need to be able to map out your exact research design, but you should be able to articulate how you would approach it in high-level terms. Will you use qual, quant or mixed methods? Why?

Feasibility – How feasible would it be to gather the data that would be needed in the time-frame that you have – and do you have the will power and the skills to do it? If you’re not confident with the theory, you don’t want something that’s going to draw you into a debate about the relative importance of epistemology and ontology. If you are shy, you won’t want to be doing ethnographic interviews. If you feel this question calls for a 100-person survey, do you have the time to plan, organise and conduct it and then analyse it? What will you do if you don’t get the response rate you expect? Be very realistic here and also ask advice from your supervisor and other experts – poor response rates are extremely common and can derail even the best research projects.

Personal attraction – On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about this topic? Will addressing it add value to your life and/or career? Will undertaking the project help you build a skill you’ve previously wanted to work on (for example, interview skills, statistical analysis skills, software skills, etc.)?

The last point is particularly important. You will have to engage with your dissertation in a very sustained and deep way, face challenges and difficulties, and get it to completion. If you don’t start out enthusiastic about it, you’re setting yourself up for problems like ‘writer’s block’ or ‘burnout’ down the line. This is the reason personal interest was the sole evaluation criterion when we chose the top 5. So, don’t underestimate the importance of personal attraction to a topic – at the same time, don’t let personal attraction lead you to choose a topic that is not relevant to your course or feasible given your resources. 

Narrow down to 3, then get human feedback

We’re almost at the finishing line. The next step is to narrow down to 2 or 3 shortlisted topics. No more!  Write a short paragraph about each topic, addressing the following:

Firstly,  WHAT will this study be about? Frame the topic as a question or a problem. Write it as a dissertation title. No more than two clauses and no more than 15 words. Less than 15 is better (go back to good journal articles for inspiration on appropriate title styles).

Secondly, WHY this is interesting (original) and important – as proven by existing academic literature? Are people talking about this and is there an acknowledged problem, debate or gap in the literature?

Lastly,  HOW do you plan to answer the question? What sub-questions will you use? What methods does this call for and how competent and confident are you in those methods? Do you have the time to gather the data this calls for?

Show the shortlist and accompanying paragraphs to a couple of your peers from your course and also to an expert or two if at all possible (you’re welcome to reach out to us ), explaining what you will investigate, why this is original and important and how you will go about investigating it. 

Once you’ve pitched your ideas, ask for the following thoughts :

• Which is most interesting and appealing to them?
• Why do they feel this way?
• What problems do they foresee with the execution of the research?

Take advice and feedback and sit on it for another day. Let it simmer in your mind overnight before you make the final decision.  

Step 6: Make the decision (and stick with it!)

Then, make the commitment. Choose the one that you feel most confident about, having now considered both your opinion and the feedback from others.

Once you’ve made a decision, don’t doubt your judgement, don’t shift.  Don’t be tempted by the ones you left behind. You’ve planned and thought things through, checked feasibility and now you can start.  You have your research topic. Trust your own decision-making process and stick with it now. It’s time to get started on your research proposal!

Let’s recap…

In this post, I’ve proposed a straightforward 6-step plan to finding relevant research topic ideas and then narrowing them down to finally choose one winner. To recap:

• Understand the basics of academic research, as well as your university’s specific requirements for a dissertation, thesis or research project.
• Review previous dissertations for your course to get an idea of both topics and structure.
• Start the ideation process by familiarising yourself with the literature.
• Identify your potential research questions (topics).
• Narrow down your options, then evaluate systematically.
• Make your decision (and don’t look back!)

If you follow these steps, you’ll find that they also set you up for what’s coming next – both the proposal and the first three chapters of your dissertation. But that’s for future posts!

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

24 Comments

I would love to get a topic under teachers performance. I am a student of MSC Monitoring and Evaluations and I need a topic in the line of monitoring and evaluations

I just we put for some full notes that are payable

Thank you very much Dr Caroline

I need a project topics on transfer of learning

I would like to get a simple and direct research topic in integrated water resources management ( water quality and innovative water treatment technologies)

m a PhD Student I would like to be assisted inn formulating a title around: Internet of Things for online education in higher education – STEM (Science, technology, engineering and Mathematics, digital divide ) Thank you, would appreciate your guidance

Well structured guide on the topic… Good materials for beginners in research writing…

Hello Iam kindly seeking for help in formulating a researchable topic for masters degree program in line with teaching GRAPHIC ART

I read a thesis about a problem in a particular. Can I use the same topic just referring to my own country? Is that being original? The interview questions will mostly be the same as the other thesis.

Hi, thanks I managed to listen to the video so helpful indeed. I am currently an MBA student looking for a specific topic and I have different ideas that not sure they can be turned to be a study.

I am doing a Master of Theology in Pastoral Care and Counselling and I felt like doing research on Spiritual problem cause by substance abuse among Youth. Can I get help to formulate the Thesis Title in line with it…please

Hello, I am kindly seeking help in formulating a researchable topic for a National diploma program

As a beginner in research, I am very grateful for this well-structured material on research writing.

Hello, I watched the video and its very helpful. I’m a student in Nursing (degree). May you please help me with any research problems (in Namibian society or Nursing) that need to be evaluate or solved?

I have been greatly impacted. Thank you.

more than useful… there will be no justification if someone fails to get a topic for his thesis

I watched the video and its really helpful.

How can i started discovery

Analysing the significance of Integrated reporting in Zimbabwe. A case of institutional investors. this is my topic for PHD Accounting sciences need help with research questions

Excellent session that cleared lots of doubts.

Excellent session that cleared lots of doubts

It was a nice one thank you

Wow, This helped a lot not only with how to find a research topic but inspired me to kick it off from now, I am a final year student of environmental science. And have to complete my project in the coming six months.

I was really stressed and thinking about different topics that I don’t know nothing about and having more than a hundred topics in the baggage, couldn’t make the tradeoff among them, however, reading this scrubbed the fuzzy layer off my head and now it seems like really easy.

Thanks GRADCOACH, you saved me from getting into the rabbit hole.

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• Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples

Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples

Published on October 26, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to find out in your work. A good research question is essential to guide your research paper , dissertation , or thesis .

All research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

Table of contents

How to write a research question, what makes a strong research question, using sub-questions to strengthen your main research question, research questions quiz, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research questions.

You can follow these steps to develop a strong research question:

• Choose your topic
• Do some preliminary reading about the current state of the field
• Narrow your focus to a specific niche
• Identify the research problem that you will address

The way you frame your question depends on what your research aims to achieve. The table below shows some examples of how you might formulate questions for different purposes.

Using your research problem to develop your research question

Note that while most research questions can be answered with various types of research , the way you frame your question should help determine your choices.

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Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them. The criteria below can help you evaluate the strength of your research question.

Focused and researchable

Feasible and specific

Complex and arguable

Relevant and original

Chances are that your main research question likely can’t be answered all at once. That’s why sub-questions are important: they allow you to answer your main question in a step-by-step manner.

Good sub-questions should be:

• Less complex than the main question
• Focused only on 1 type of research
• Presented in a logical order

Here are a few examples of descriptive and framing questions:

• Descriptive: According to current government arguments, how should a European bank tax be implemented?
• Descriptive: Which countries have a bank tax/levy on financial transactions?
• Framing: How should a bank tax/levy on financial transactions look at a European level?

Keep in mind that sub-questions are by no means mandatory. They should only be asked if you need the findings to answer your main question. If your main question is simple enough to stand on its own, it’s okay to skip the sub-question part. As a rule of thumb, the more complex your subject, the more sub-questions you’ll need.

Try to limit yourself to 4 or 5 sub-questions, maximum. If you feel you need more than this, it may be indication that your main research question is not sufficiently specific. In this case, it’s is better to revisit your problem statement and try to tighten your main question up.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .

A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.

As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, it’s important to evaluate sources to assess their relevance. Use preliminary evaluation to determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth.

This involves:

• Reading abstracts , prefaces, introductions , and conclusions
• Looking at the table of contents to determine the scope of the work
• Consulting the index for key terms or the names of important scholars

A research hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research question. The research hypothesis usually includes an explanation (“ x affects y because …”).

A statistical hypothesis, on the other hand, is a mathematical statement about a population parameter. Statistical hypotheses always come in pairs: the null and alternative hypotheses . In a well-designed study , the statistical hypotheses correspond logically to the research hypothesis.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

• Researchability
• Feasibility and specificity
• Relevance and originality

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How to Choose a Dissertation Topic – 9 Steps

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Choosing a dissertation topic is really difficult.

When I had to choose dissertation topic I agonized for weeks.

And I’ve supervised over 50 students’ dissertations across undergraduate, masters and PhD levels. All of my students agonized over their topics, too.

So you’re not alone in your struggle.

The below tips for choosing a dissertation topic are the ones I wish I was given when I was in the process of looking for a suitable topic.

If only I’d known these points, I would have saved a lot of time and stress for myself. So if these tips only help one person out, I’ll be happy.

These tips really work for just about anybody. They’re particularly useful for undergraduate and Masters level students who are writing dissertations. But, I’m sure most doctoral students will also find these points relevant, too. Especially tips 1 – 3.

Here are my tips on how to choose a dissertation topic – I hope they come in handy, and good luck on your research journey!

Read Also: 25 Sociology Dissertation Ideas

1. It Doesn’t have to be Unique (Yet).

This is the one piece of advice I wish I had gotten when I was choosing my dissertation topic.

Many students feel like they need to find a unique topic that will blow their markers away.

I was this student.

I thought that I had to choose a topic and idea that was going to make a unique contribution to knowledge. I thought I had to discover something, or, at the very least, choose a topic that no one has ever done before.

So here’s what I wish someone had told me:

It doesn’t matter if other people have done the same topic as you.

Don’t even let it phase you for a moment if someone else has chosen your topic. Just choose whatever topic you want.

Well, because your unique contribution doesn’t come at the start. It comes at the end!

You’ll find a way to make a unique contribution after you have completed your literature review . There is always time and space to find a new angle or different way of doing the topic than other people.

So, don’t choose your topic because it’s unique or different.

Then … how should you choose your topic? Points 2 and 3 give you some tips…

2. Make it Relevant to your Career Goals.

The first thing I recommend to all my students is to consider how their topic can help progress their careers.

When giving guidance to my students, I ask them these three questions:

• a) What sort of specialization do you want in your career? If you’re studying teaching, your questions might be: do you want to be a specialized literacy teacher? do you want to be an expert on behavior management? Do you want to be specialized in play-based learning ?
• b) How do you want to differentiate yourself from your competition? Your dissertation topic is going to be the topic you ‘sell’ as your area of expertise in future job interviews. If you want to get a great job, choose a topic that really stands out in the marketplace. Have a think right now for yourself: what areas of your industry are booming? For example, would it be better to specialize in coal or solar panels? Which one would be best to talk about in a job interview in the 21 st Century?
• c) Do you want to be a research pro? Most of my students don’t want to be researchers as a career. They do their dissertations to prove mastery of their topic – that’s all. The research is a means to an end. But, if you think you want to go on to do the next level degree (a PhD one day?) then you’ll want to focus on having a high quality methodology, not just an interesting topic.

So, have a think now: is there a topic that will help you get to where you plan on going? What expert knowledge do you want to be able to ‘sell’ in a future interview?

3. Ensure it’s Interesting to You.

You’re going to be wedded to your chosen for a long time. And by the end of this journey you’re going to hate it.

To make your life easier, choose a topic you’re interested in.

Here’s two ways of approaching this:

Choose a Topic you Think About a Lot.

Choose a dissertation topic that you find yourself talking about, complaining about or raving about to your parents. Choose something that makes you angry, inspired or intrigued.

For the next week or so, I recommend taking notes whenever you find yourself thinking idly about something. Is that something you’ve thought about a lot?

Or, Choose a Topic by Looking over Past Assessment Tasks.

Another way of approaching the search for an interesting topic is to look over past assignments.

What assessment task have you done in the past few years that gripped you? Which one did you enjoy the most when you were studying it?

Zoom in on that topic and see if you can turn it into a dissertation.

Bonus tip: If you found a topic that was based on a previous assessment task, see if you can convince the person who taught that subject to be your dissertation supervisor.

4. Keep it Simple.

Too often, students want to choose a topic that is complex and complicated. They come up with a long, detailed research question (usually with the help of their professor) that, really, is hard to understand!

The best strategy is to come up with a topic that is really, really straightforward. At least, the topic should start as simple and straightforward.

Your topic is going to grow and expand into a monster. It’ll be hard to tame and control. You’ll be following random tangents down rabbit holes that end up being dead-ends. You’ll research aspects of the topic and realize it was a completely pointless exercise.

The way to minimize the crazy growth of your research project is to simplify it right from the start. Make it a really simple idea.

For example, I had a student who wanted to research:

“How big is the gap in mathematics outcomes between children from middle-class and working-class backgrounds by age 16?”

I would think that this topic may be achievable by a top academic with a sizeable research grant, but my student was completing a 10,000 word dissertation for graduating her Bachelor of Arts with Honours.

After several agonizing research meetings, we peeled it back over and again until we ended up with something much simpler and more specific:

“What are teachers’ opinions of the impact of poverty on learning?”

Why is this simpler and more specific?

Well, with the second study, my student has a clear focus group (teachers) and an achievable methodology (interviews). This will be far simpler than somehow conducting tests on 16-year old children, getting a significant amount of children to participate in the study, and then dissecting their mathematics test results by income level.

Instead, we aimed small and simple to ensure the task itself was achievable.

We’re not here to win a Nobel prize. You can do that with your multi-million-dollar post-doctoral research grant. Get your degree first.

5. Ensure it’s Achievable.

This piece of advice builds on the previous advice, to “keep it simple”.

Keeping it simple means making sure you have a clear, small-scale focus.

Esuring the project is achievable means choosing a methodology that won’t break you.

Small Scale Qualitative Studies are Achievable for Anyone

I always suggest to my Undergraduate and Masters level students to aim for a small scale study with no more than 20 research participants.

Now, I know there will be many of you out there who want to do quantitative research studies. And in reality, you can do a quantitative study with a small group of students. These usually involve quantitative action research case studies.

If you’re set on a quantitative study, that’s fine. But find a supervisor with the right experience.

Personally, I usually recommend a qualitative focus group analysis for anyone doing their first dissertation.

The biggest mistake you can make is biting off more than you can chew.

Small scale qualitative studies are the easiest option . They can be achieved within your time frame. And you can certainly still get a very high grade.

So, let’s take the example of the previous research question, which we changed from:

For the first study, you will have to develop skills in quantitative data analysis , find a sizeable cohort of students, get permission from their parents, get special permission to study children you’re your university ethics committee, develop a quality testing mechanism, pilot the test, conduct the test, analyze the data, then interpret it.

For the second study, you will not have to develop complex mathematical skills, bother with getting permission to research children, or deal with the rigor of quantitative analysis.

In other words, you will be able to bypass many hurdles you may face.

That’s the benefit of a small-scale qualitative study. It’s a nice easy first dissertation methodology. You can do it and do it well.

I know my position is controversial, but hey … I’m here to tell you how to avoid problems, not to stand on a soapbox.

Consider Textual Analysis, Semiotic Analysis or Secondary Research

Finding people to interview, survey or participate in your study in any way at all can be intimidating.

I find it interesting and really fulfilling. But I understand if you think it’s too much for you at this point in time.

If you don’t want to have to go out and find research participants for your study, I recommend one of these types of study:

• Textual Analysis : you can look at policy documents or newspaper articles and analyze their ideological positioning , for example;
• Semiotic Analysis : The quintessential semiotic analysis is the analysis of advertising images or movies and the examination of the ways they depict people of different races, social classes or genders;
• Secondary Research: Look over other people’s research and try to identify themes across a range of research studies.

Now, these three different methodologies are far outside of the scope of this discussion, but consult with your dissertation supervisor if you’re overwhelmed by the idea of conducting research with real human beings. One of these three methodologies may help you bypass that process, and make the dissertation feel more achievable for you.

6. Search Online for Inspiration

If you’re still struggling to choose a dissertation topic,  go online to get inspiration!

There’s a few ways you can do this. Here’s a few good ones:

a) Google Previous Dissertation Topics

Many universities upload their students’ dissertations onto an online repository. This means there are a ton of open, free to access databases of previous students’ dissertations all over the internet.

Simply google “Dissertation” + “pdf” + a topic you’re interested in. If you’re a masters student, you can do “masters dissertation” + “pdf” + the topic; and if you’re an undegrad, then simply do “undergraduate dissertation” + “pdf” + the topic;. Simple!

Up will pop a ton of dissertations that you can instantly download to check out previous students’ successful dissertation topics.

Another benefit of doing this is that you’ll be able to view and model the structure that previous students have used as well. This can be super beneficial for you early on!

b) Look at Recent Articles Published in Journals focused on your Topic

If you scroll through the recent issues of journals in your topic, you’ll find a range of research topic ideas.

To get access to top journals in your topic, simply google “Scholarly Journal” + your topic. For example, I am a professor in education. So I’d google “Scholarly journal” + “Education”.

The homepages for a ton of journals will pop up in the Google search. Quickly scan through the recent issues of those journals to see if any ideas will pop up that interest you!

c) If you’re Studying Education or Teaching, Check Here

Lastly, a quick plug for another post I’ve written for dissertation students:

• 51+ Dissertation Ideas for Education students .

Go check that out if you want to write a dissertation on the ‘education’ topic.

7. Trust your Dissertation Supervisor

Your dissertation supervisor will have walked many students just like you through the research process before.

Look, I know many dissertation supervisors can be disappointingly aloof and disconnected from your research. And relationships can get very frosty with your supervisors indeed.

Trust your supervisor. They make recommendations for a reason. They know how to navigate the dissertation writing process. If your supervisor makes a recommendation, strong – very strongly – consider it.

Your supervisor also has expertise in one area of research or another. Take advantage of their expertise. Be flexible and let them sway you down certain paths. You need a knowledgeable partner in the research process.

So, trust your supervisor. You need their expertise more than you know.

8. Come up with 3-5 Ideas and Bring them to your Supervisor for Feedback

Your initial dissertation topic ideas will probably need a lot of refinement.

The person who will help you to refine your topic will be your dissertation supervisor. Their main job, unfortunately, is to curb your enthusiasm. It’s to show you what problems you’ll face if you follow certain paths and recommend alterations to ensure your topic is achievable.

So, approach your supervisor with your 3-5 top ideas and watch them do their magic. They should advise you on how to turn your ideas into reality.

Your ideas can be specific or broad – really, it doesn’t matter because you’ll walk out of your supervision meeting with a lot of changed ideas. It doesn’t need to be set in stone.

You could, for example, go up to your supervisor and say something like:

• “I’m interested in Erikson’s theory of development. Do you have any suggestions of how I can use Erikson’s ideas for a dissertation?”
• “I’m really into conservative politics. What ideas do you have for an achievable topic?”
• Any other ideas…

They’ll help you shape and mold your topic into something achievable.

9. Lastly, Stick to your Choice

When I did my dissertation, I questioned my topic daily: I’d always be thinking up new, better ideas for my dissertation!

But once you’re locked in, it’s hard to change your mind. You’re going to get ethics permission to conduct your study, not anyone else’s!

So, my advice is simple:

Once you’ve chosen your topic, commit.

If you’re desperate to do another topic, fine, do another degree. If you’re doing your Master’s right now, bank those other ideas for a potential PhD down the track.

But once you’ve made your choice, really … you’ve got to commit, block out all your regrets and dig in.

Don’t worry about your friends who chose a dissertation topic that is better than yours. Stay in your lane, be content with your topic, and create a great product.

Writing a dissertation is an exercise in being practical more than anything. That start from the very first choice: choosing a dissertation topic that’s achievable and good for your career, and will also put you on the path for top marks.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

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How to Choose Good Research Topics for Your Research Project

by  Antony W

August 5, 2024

If I were to tell you that you aren't in control of your own decisions, you might hotly refute that statement. Yet, the fact that students spend so much time choosing research topics instead of actually working on one reinforces that scary truth. 

Human beings spend a lot of time thinking and evaluating options only to end up making choices based on emotion.

When presented with an open research project, it is easy to get stuck for days or even weeks because you can’t make up your mind on what you want to work on.

This guide is going to help you do just that using both scientific and emotional techniques to break the mental block . The plan is to get ideas flowing, then choose one of them objectively and subjectively to make the best research project topic.

If you need more help than just selecting a topic, Help for Assessments has a team of experienced academicians and writers who will handle the entire project for you, even the choice of topic if you wish.

Our expert services include all kinds of assignments at high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels of learning. Explore our service portfolio here and get your free custom quote, with a first-time discount of up to 50% off!

From experience, we do understand that choosing the right research topic is the toughest thing to do.

We will explore the best approach to use when selecting a research project topic, the criteria of a good topic, and how to craft a concise research question.

Of course, we will also give you great examples to get you started.

What Makes  the Best Research Topics

A good research topic is the backbone of your research project. Choose a wrong one, and you’re doomed from the start. Get it right from the beginning, and you are very likely to ace it.

Therefore, it is paramount to understand what criteria is used to define a research project topic. From our experience, four major factors determine how good your project's topic is.

Among all other factors, clarity has to be the most important. Your topic has to be simple and straight-forward from the beginning, with no chance of being misunderstood by your readers.

You should be clear in your mind and on paper on what you want to research, how you will approach it, and what direction you expect the research to take.

To give your topic clarity, only limit yourself to topics on which you are either familiar, or that have enough material you can use to thoroughly familiarize yourself with it.

If you must go for a highly technical subject, as usually happens in technology and science, define all terminology beforehand so that both you and the reader are on the same page. Even then, try to keep your language simple.

2. Definition

A well-defined research topic is half the battle won. The wording, usually expressed in the thesis statement or research question, should clearly set the scope and limits of the research without going too far afield or being too restrictive.

Defining the scope of your research project will be one of our key points in this article. For now, keep in mind that your topic should be simple, direct, and thorough.

While you will probably have to make a few changes to it as you go along, always make sure to keep it well defined and don’t be afraid to go back to your predefined limits if you feel yourself chasing rabbits.

3. Personal Interest

The way to make sure that you have lots of fun and enjoy the project you undertake is to choose a topic in which you have a personal interest.

It could be one that intrigues you, one you already know yourself to be an expert, or one you have a desire to know more about.

In the same breath, remember to think about your audience. In this case, your audience might be your instructor and classmates.

Think about what topics would interest them as well, and it will go a long way to get you good marks.

4. Relevance

Your research topic should be current in terms of world affairs, the global situation, and available knowledge base.

Choosing an obsolete topic will cause you sleepless nights caused by lack of material, only for it to be completely useless when complete.

Remember, the goal is to contribute something to the existing knowledge in your discipline.

Therefore, it pays to find an angle on current affairs. It should also be in your current area of study and within the scope of what you have already covered.

Examples of Research Topics: 30 Sample Topics to Get You Started

Here are some examples of great research topics you can start with. Keep in mind that these are not cut-and-dry, and you should not use them as such.

Rather, consider them springing boards to launch your search and hopefully inspire the right topic.

Technology 

• Enhancing Security Online
• Internet of Things in Industry
• Common services center vs community multimedia center
• Racial/gender issues in IT
• New theories about computer imitation of living things.
• Parental monitoring of their children’s internet browsing activities.

Controversial Topics

• Sex education in American schools.
• Violence and sex on popular media
• Legalizing of medical marijuana
• Vaccines for children: should they be allowed?
• Should animal testing be allowed?/ How can animal testing be overcome?
• Should prescription drugs be advertised to the general public?

Law and Ethics

• Is euthanasia (assisted suicide) ethical? 
• How should acquaintance rape be treated/its effects on women?
• What should be the minimum drinking age?
• What is the efficacy/ethics of the defense on grounds of insanity?
• Driving under the influence and associated laws.
• Cigarettes  and smoking.
• Use of psychedelic honey/mushrooms in ethnic groups.
• Drug testing by corporates or in schools.
• Admission policies in colleges.
• Intelligence tests.
• Greek letter societies.
• Religious acts e.g. prayer, in schools.
• Standardized testing

Environment and Nature

• Population control.
• Conservation of endangered species.

To checkout more research topics, click here

As you will see, most of these topics are quite wide and obscure.

They don’t really fit the criteria of good topics, and this is done intentionally to avoid cut-and-paste scenarios. 

Instead, they require some refinement before you can use them. In the next few sections, we look into how you can do just that.

The 7 Simple Steps of Selecting a Good Research Topic

Most of the time, your instructor will save you some hassle and restrict you to one wide topic. For example, they might give you ‘mental health’ or ‘technology’ or even ‘global warming’ as a seed topic.

These topics are too wide to even start researching on, so you will have to start by narrowing them down.

Other times, however, you have a complete carte blanche on the subject matter of the project. It can be easy or tough to get started on such a project depending on circumstances.

Let us approach both scenarios at the same time. As always, start by giving yourself a timeframe within which you need to have your topic chosen and ready. This will help to prevent you from wasting time on irrelevant things by giving you a sense of urgency.

1. Brainstorm

If you are starting on a completely blank sheet, the first step is to brainstorm for ideas. You will likely find that easy to do if you already have a few potential ideas. Write these down, then talk to friends and professors for more.

You can always find more ideas by looking into your personal interests.

What do you like reading about, and where do your interests and area of study intersect? Is there something you are particularly keen to learn about? Is there a question you would like answered? Something in class you didn’t quite understand?

Write all the ideas down as they come, and by the end of this session you should have a healthy number.

For example, you might start with a few ideas on hazing, intelligence tests, workplace drug testing, online security, and parental monitoring during online browsing.

2. Narrow Down to a Few Ideas

Weed out the washed-out ideas from your list. Gun-control, legalization on drugs, and abortion are already cliché topics. Fresh ideas are exciting and are more likely to earn you points for originality.

However, remember that you can also give a fresh twist to a common topic. Some of the best research topics are discovered this way. If you believe that you have a fresh approach that will give a new twist to a topic, stick with it for a further exploration.

By the end of this stage, you should not have many possibilities left - about five will do.

From our original list, we might eliminate drug testing because we feel it is not relevant, online security because it is too general and common, intelligence tests because it is already covered exhaustively. Two remain: parental monitoring and hazing.

3. Do Background And General Research to Select One

With the topics you have, you now need to conduct light research on each to determine its suitability. You will be looking to find out which ones have adequate research material, checking for relevancy, and even just seeing if any will particularly appeal to your interest.

You can do this research in online sources, encyclopedias, and other general sources. You can also talk to your librarian - they will usually have all the answers you need about availability of material and ease of research.

For our example, a general research reveals the psychological foundation of hazing in the military, and parental browsing control through third-party apps.

If by now you haven’t narrowed down your list to one, proceed to step four. Otherwise, skip it and go to five.

4. Make a List of Keywords

The general research will have given you ideas about the scope of each idea.

You will discover keywords along the way related to the topic - write them down. Use the keywords to refine your search further and discover more information on each topic.

For our two remaining ideas, we might decide to go with parental monitoring of their children's digital and online activities.

5. Define the Topic

With the topic chosen, it's time to define it properly.

If it is still too wide, narrow it down further by changing your approach. If it is too wide, broaden the language to allow for more exploration.

The keywords you had picked out will help you do this more effectively. You can also do that by looking into previous work done on the same topic.

This is also the time to define your approach. What will be your interest in the topic? What are you trying to prove or disprove? What are your ideas on methodology?

For our topic, we can consider that parental monitoring for children under 13 is not enough to protect them from the dangers they experience online.

6. Read More on The Selected Topic

An in depth research into the topic follows. You need to familiarize yourself thoroughly with it if you are to come off as an authority.

As such, scour the library, online sources, and coursework material until you completely understand the subject.

As you research, keep a list of your references in proper citation. Pick out any ideas, quotes, and important messages you think will be of help to you later when you do the write up.

That way, you wouldn't lose your sources and it will help you to write your reference list later.

7. Formulate Your Research Question & Thesis Statement

With an in-depth knowledge of your topic, write down your research question .

This is the question that you are trying to answer in your research project.

It can also come in the form of a thesis statement, which is a statement or two narrowing down what your project is all about.

The question or thesis statement has to be simple yet exhaustive in defining your research. It should achieve that golden balance that avoids being either too broad or too specific.

However, leave some room for change and remain flexible as well. You might discover some new information later, and you should be ready to incorporate it into your research project.

For our particular case, a good research question might be:

Are there enough safeguards for parents to use in order to protect their children online or should more be enforced by law?

That is all there is when it comes to choosing a good research topic. Now you can get to the real thing: methodology, analysis, and the final writeup. Hopefully, this article has helped you to get the right topic for the impending project. If not, we can still help.

Need Help With Your Research Project or Coursework Assignment?

While choosing a research project seems like a nightmare, the bulk of the work starts once you have one.

The expert team at Help for Assessments is skilled at all kinds of research projects, dissertations, theses, capstone projects, internal assessments, and many more.

We can and will help you with your entire project, with a promise of always delivering 100% quality, unique, and personalized work. Order our services here and experience peace of mind not only in choosing your research topic, but in completing the whole project as well.

About the author 

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Choosing a Research Topic

The topic you choose plays a large role in the outcome of your research project. It is likely that your topic will change several times as you progress through the early stages of research, so don't worry if your first few ideas turn into dead ends. Where are you in the process right now?

Getting ideas for your topic

Understand the assignment.

• Are there assigned topics or do you need to develop your own?
• Has your instructor specified what type or how many sources you need?
• What is the scope of the assignment?

Is it a 5-minute presentation or a 15-page paper? Do you need to find everything about the topic or just enough about one area to explain it to someone else? Asking yourself these kinds of questions can help you determine what types of sources you are looking for.

Do you need recent information? Do you need primary sources ? Do you need data sources?

• When is it due?

If the due date is less than a week away, you’ll need to focus on resources that our library has. If you have more time, you’ll be able to request articles and books through Interlibrary Loan.

A good topic is...

• something you are interested in
• appropriate to the requirements of the assignment
• able to be supported by evidence

Ways to look for ideas when brainstorming a topic:

• look over what you’ve read for the course
• talk to your instructor
• talk to your friends
• pay attention to current events, or browse newspapers and magazines

Start looking for sources

Brainstorm search terms.

Make a list of words that describe your topic. In addition to words for broad concepts (e.g. poverty, feminism) consider brainstorming more specific keywords, such as:

Event: an event within the context of your topic. Time: a particular time period connected to your topic. Person or group: an individual or group identified with the topic or particularly affected by it. Place: a region, city or other geographical unit connected to your topic.

Read over background information on your topic using encyclopedias or a specialized dictionary… or Wikipedia, just don’t end your research there.

Use your list to do a few basic keyword searches in the library catalog and one or two databases relevant to your subject to see if your topic can be supported by the available information. Schedule a library lab or stop by the reference desk to ask a librarian where to start looking.

Narrowing your topic

If you’ve found numerous articles or books that are potentially related to your topic and you can’t decide which ones to focus on, it’s time to narrow your topic. Go back to your list of keywords — is there a particular person, place, time period, or event you could use as the focus of your paper?              

Too broad : postcolonial literature in India             Better : postcolonial aspects of the work of Salman Rushdie             Best : postcolonial dynamics of historical representation in Rushdie's Midnight's Children

Be flexible — it is normal to have your topic change as your research progresses. You can never predict what you’re going to find.

Broaden your topic

Before you give up on a topic that really interests you, it’s worth talking to a librarian or your professor to see if there are potential sources you are overlooking or that are hard to find. Sometimes, though, there's just no reliable data on the topic. You might need to broaden it or take a different angle.

Can you expand the concepts you’d like to study?            

Too narrow: women voting for Ross Perot in Poweshiek county Better: success of third parties among Iowa voters

Can you expand the time period or groups of people that you hope to study?

Too narrow: women in Iowa voting for a third party in the 1992 or 1996 election Better: Iowa voters response to Ross Perot in the 1992 or 1996 election

Turn your topic into a research question

After you’ve conducted background research on your topic, it can be helpful to begin expressing it as a specific question.

Idea = Frank Lloyd Wright or modern architecture

Research Question = How has Frank Lloyd Wright influenced modern architecture?

Focused Research Question = What design principles used by Frank Lloyd Wright are common in contemporary homes?

Tracking Down a Citation

Great! The next step is using the citations from your professor to track down the sources. Where are you in the process right now?   I need to:

To determine if your citations are for books, articles or other types of sources, refer to a chart of example citations or use these tools: 

• locate a book using the library catalog
• otherwise, request the book or article through Interlibrary Loan

Deciphering a citation

Before you can find a cited source, you need to understand what the citation is telling you to look for. Is it a book, chapter of a book, journal article, or another type of source like a dissertation or government document? All reliable citations include the same basic information. Different citation styles arrange it in different orders, but here are the things you should be able to find out about a source from its citation:

• Name of the author or authoring organization
• Title of the article or book chapter
• Title of the book or journal in which an article is published
• Date of publication
• Name of the publisher, either a book press or a journal title
• Page numbers of articles or book chapters

The citation might provide more information than this, such indicating whether a source was found in print or online, but these are the basic facts you'll need to track it down. Citations come in different forms depending on where you find them. This is a sample citation of a book as it is found in the bibliography of an article:

Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Rev. ed. New York: Verso, 1991.

This is a citation for the same book as found in a search in the MLA International  Bibliography:  

Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism.

Benedict Anderson.

New York, NY: Verso, 1991. xv, 224 pp.

Although a database citation looks different from an article citation, it should provide you with the same basic information — and enough information for you to determine what type of source this is.

• Author: Benedict Anderson
• Title: Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism
• Date of publication: 1991
• Publisher: Verso

Type of source: Book

How do you know: Only has one title (no separate title for chapter or article), has no volume or issue number, lists a publisher and place of publication rather than a journal title 

Reference Sources

Before you jump into looking for detailed sources on specific aspects of your topic, it can be very helpful to get a lay of the land by doing some background reading in reference sources. Reading an encyclopedia article or other reference source is a quick way to:

• familiarize yourself with the basics of the topic: concepts, controversies, time, and place
• find the names of people who are associated with the topic
• decode some of the jargon associated with the topic
• possibly find additional sources using the bibliography of an article or chapter

  Here are three ways to find background sources:

• use the library catalog , which you can limit to search only books in the reference collection
• use a the Reference or Background Info section of any library subject guide to find reference sources recommended for your topic
• or choose the best electronic reference sources for your topic from our online guide

And here's just a sampling of our electronic reference sources.

• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Oxford Reference Online
• AccessScience
• Oxford Art Online 
• Oxford Music Online

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CoB Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

• Learn More About a Topic
• Find Scholarly Articles
• Use Scholarly Articles
• Organizing Your Research
• Cite Your Sources
• Libraries Events - Reading Purple

Question? Ask me!

Learn More About Your Research Topic

• Get started with reviewing the literature
• A literature review is NOT...
• Types of literature reviews
• Finding published literature reviews

A literature review examines existing contributions around a topic, question, or issue in a field of study. These contributions can include peer reviewed articles, books, and other published research. Literature reviews can be used to give an overview of a field of research to describe theories, explore methodologies, and discuss developments in a field by drawing on research from multiple studies.

A literature review can be used to:

• Ground yourself in a topic and learn more about it
• Find new ideas to explore
• Discover existing research (so you do not repeat it)
• Determine what methodologies have already been used to research a topic
• Discover flaws, problems, and gaps that exist in the literature
• Critique or evaluate existing research on a topic
• Situate your research in a larger context or advocate for your research by demonstrating that you are extending upon existing knowledge

What makes a good literature review?

A good literature review has a clear scope - don't try to collect everything about a topic that has ever been published! Instead focus in on what you want to know more about your specific research topic. A good literature review might also:

• Cover all important relevant literature - if you are finding too many sources, try narrowing in on key authors and well cited-research
• Is up-to-date - limit your review to a certain time period
• Provide an insightful analysis of the ideas and conclusions in the literature
• Point out similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses in the literature
• Identify gaps in the literature for future research - or to set up your own research as relevant!
• Provides the context for which the literature is important - what impact does the literature have on countries, people, industries, etc.
• Systematic Review: AI's Impact on Higher Education - Learning, Teaching, and Career Opportunities Review this example to learn one way a literature review can be written.

A well conducted literature review can set up your final research product. Many researchers will write literature reviews at the beginning of their research article to situate their research within the larger context in their field or topic. This demonstrates that they have awareness of their topic and how they are building upon the topic. Keeping good notes when you are conducting your review can help set you up for success when you begin work on your final research product. When conducting your literature review AVOID:

• Summarizing articles INSTEAD draw connections between different articles
• Creating a chronological account of a topic INSTEAD focus on current literature or foundational works
• Sharing personal opinions on whether or not you liked articles INSTEAD ask questions

A strong literature review organizes existing contributions to a conversation into categories or “themes.” There are multiple ways to approach targeting a literature review to achieve your specific learning goals. Common types of reviews include:

Traditional Review

• Analyzes, synthesizes, and critiques a body of literature
• Identifies patterns and themes in the literature
• Draws conclusions from the literature
• Identifies gaps in literature

Argumentative Review

• Examines literature selectively in order to support or refuse an argument, assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the literature

Historical Review

• Examines research throughout a period of time
• Places research in a historical context

Integrative Review

• Aims to review, critique, and synthesize literature on a topic in an integrated way that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated
• Might include case studies, observational studies, and meta-analysis, as well as other types of research

Methodological Review

• Focuses on method of analysis (how researchers came to the idea) rather than on findings (their final conclusions and what they found)

Published literature reviews are called review articles, however, research articles often contain brief literature reviews at the beginning to give context to the study within that article. 

By reviewing published literature reviews you can more easily ground yourself in a topic, it's main themes, and find relevant literature for your own review.

Tip: When identifying main themes related to your topic, look at the headers in a research article. Some authors choose to list their literature review themes as headers to organize their review. Others might choose to name their themes in the first few sentences of each paragraph in their review. Sometimes a literature review, especially if it is brief, will be included in the introduction or some other beginning part of the article.

Approaching a Literature Review

• Evidenced-based approach

An  Evidence-Based Management Framework  can help direct your literature review process.

"Evidence-Based" is a term that was originally coined in the 1990s in the field of medicine, but today its principles extend across disciplines as varied as education, social work, public work, and management. Evidence-Based Management focuses on improving decision-making process.

While conducting a literature review, we need to gather evidence and summarize it to support our decisions and conclusions regarding the topic or problem. We recommend you use a 4 step approach of the Evidence-Based Management Framework while working on a literature review.

During the "Ask" step , you need to define a specific topic, thesis, problem, or research question that your literature review will be focusing on.

It may require first to gain some knowledge about the area or discipline that your topic, thesis, problem, or research question originate from. At this moment, think about a type of a literature review you plan to work on. For example are you reviewing the literature to educate yourself on a topic, to plan to write a literature review article, or to prepare to situate your research project within the broader literature?

Use this to determine the scope of your literature review and the type of publications you need to use (e.g., journals, books, governmental documents, conference proceedings, dissertations, training materials, and etc.).

A few other questions you might ask are:

• Is my topic, question, or problem narrowed enough to exclude irrelevant material?
• What is the number of sources to use to fulfill the research need and represent the scope? i.e. is the topic narrow enough that you want to find everything that exists or broad enough that you only want to see what a few experts have to say?
• What facets of a topic are the focus? Am I looking at issues of theory? methodology? policy? quantitative research? or qualitative research?

During the  “Acquire” step , you are actively gathering evidence and information that relates to your topic or problem.

This is when you search for related scholarly articles, books, dissertations, and etc. to see  “what has been done”  and  “what we already know”  about the topic or problem. While doing a literature review in business, you may also find it helpful to review various websites such as professional associations, government websites offering industry data, companies’ data, conference proceedings, or training materials. It may increase your understanding about the current state of the knowledge in your topic or problem.

During this step, you should keep a careful records of the literature and website resources you review. 

During the  “Appraise” step,  you actively evaluate the sources used to acquire the information. To make decisions regarding the relevance and trustworthiness of the sources and information, you can ask the following questions:

• Is the source reputable? (e.g., peer-reviewed journals and government websites typically offer more trustworthy information)
• How old (dated) is the source? Is it still current, or is there newer updated information that you might be able to find?
• How closely does the source match the topic / problem / issue you are researching?

During this step, you may decide to eliminate some of the material you gathered during the  “Acquire” step . Similarly, you may find that you need to engage in additional searches to find information that suits your needs. This is normal—the process of the  "Appraisal" step  often uncovers new keywords and new potential sources.

During the  “Aggregate” step , you “pull together” the information you deemed trustworthy and relevant. The information gathered and evaluated needs to be summarized in a narrative form—a summary of your findings. 

While summarizing and aggregating information, use synthesis language like this: 

• Much of the literature on  [topic X]  focuses on  [major themes] .  
• In recent years, researchers have begun investigating  [facets A, B, and C]  of  [topic X] .
• The studies in this review of  [topic X]  confirm / suggest / call into question / support  [idea / practice / finding / method / theory / guideline Y].
• In the reviewed studies  [variable X]  was generally associated with higher / lower rates of  [outcome Y].
• A limitation of some / most / all of these studies is  [Y].
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How to Establish a Research Topic: Easy Writing Tips

Last Updated: December 15, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. . Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 113,031 times.

With a world of possibilities out there, choosing a research topic can be a daunting task. However, selecting a worthy subject is half the battle when it comes to producing valuable original research. If you take some time to attentively brainstorm possibilities and refine them down into a solid, focused research question, you’ll come away with a topic that’s manageable, worthwhile, and, most importantly, interesting to you.

Picking a Topic

• One way to ensure you have a topic that’s of interest to you to pick a subject to which you have a personal connection. For instance, if your sister has Crohn's Disease, you may be interested in investigating it. Or, if you went on an exchange program to Croatia, you might be keen to know more about its history or culture.
• Another way to trim down your possibilities is to see if there any patterns that emerge from the longer list. For example, if you wrote down “Gertrude Stein” and “Djuna Barnes,” you could focus on lesbian expat authors.

• You want to choose a topic that has some, but not too much information available on it. If there are some substantive related resources out there, you know you’re on the right track; if there are pages and pages of relevant search results, you can tell that plenty of people have already gone down that road or that the topic is likely too big to cover and you will need to narrow it further.

• For instance, if you are interested in the mapping of the human genome, read about the general history of the scientific advances that have allowed us to map DNA and see if there’s a particular subtopic that catches your eye. Instead of trying to cover the entire subject, limit your scope to focus on the discovery of a gene related to a specific trait or disease or on a particular application, like the regulation of gene therapy for unborn fetuses.

Kim Gillingham, MA

Use your interests to narrow your focus. Retired librarian, Kim Gillingham, adds: "You can start with a general topic such as Outer Space. Then ask yourself specific questions such as 'What am I interested in about Outer Space?' It could be the history of space exploration, the technology of space exploration, or 'Is Pluto a planet or not?' As always, librarians can be of immense help in narrowing down a topic through a technique called the Reference Interview — try asking your librarian about it!"

• When you meet with or email them, explain the research that you’ve already conducted to show them that you’ve done your homework. Then, ask something like, “I’m most interested in looking into coming of age rituals in contemporary indigenous cultures, and I was wondering if you think that’s a good topic to pursue and if you had any suggestions for specific case studies or other resources related to it.”
• Remember: they may be able to point you in a more specific direction based on your general interests, but don’t expect them to do the whole selection process for you.
• If you’re doing independent research to earn a degree (rather than to fulfill the requirements of a particular class), you should also ask them about the potential marketability of your subject since your topic will be setting the direction for your future career.

Developing Your Research Question

• After you conduct your preliminary research, think about the gaps that you noticed in the information available on the subject that you’ve been investigating. Devise a question that could address that missing information.
• One concrete way to do this is to explore the relationship between two ideas, concepts, phenomena, or events that came up in your research but whose relationship has not been fully investigated. For example, “how did political radicals influence popular representations of sexuality in the 1920s United States?”
• Another concrete way to formulate your question is to consider how an existing methodology or concept applies to a new, specific context or case study. For instance, you could think of how Sigmund Freud’s idea of the “appendage” applies to a specific virtual reality game.

• For example, if your question requires conducting a study that’s not feasible given your timeframe or the resources available to you, then you need to find a way to revise your question so that you can answer it.
• Sometimes if your topic is too new, there won’t be a substantial enough body of research available for you to do a comprehensive analysis of it. In that case, you may need to revise or broaden your question so that you can actually answer it. [5] X Research source

• If your question is not narrow enough, refine your focus further by limiting your topic according to a given historical era, theoretical approach, geographical region, demographic or culture, industry or field. For example, if you’re interested in refugees, you might limit your scope by honing in on a particular event (World War II) and/or time period (the 1940s), a specific location (England) and/or population (Jewish people from Austria). [6] X Research source

Making Sure that You’re on the Right Track

• You might have a brilliant research question, but, if it’s about genetic disorders and the grant you’re applying for only funds research on communicable diseases, you’ll need to go back to the drawing board.
• Also be sure to take the required length of the project into consideration. For instance, if your question is too narrow or specific, you might not be able to hit the 250-page requirement for a doctoral thesis.

• Start by listing the various research methods that you’ll use, such as a literature review, interviews, and qualitative analysis. Then, create a timeline for when you’ll be doing each kind of research, being sure to leave enough time for yourself to complete the writing.

• You can order topics chronologically (for instance, if you’re studying a historical event). Most often, you’ll order them according to the progression of your argument, with one idea building on the last.
• Your research may change the structure or content of your outline, but it’s still useful to have a well-developed starting point.

Community Q&A

• If you have no idea of where to begin, consider going through old notes and textbooks or speaking to classmates to get some inspiration. Or, browse through the most recently published journals in your field to see what the latest trends in research are. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

• Since research is a demanding process, the most important thing is that you choose a topic that will sustain your enthusiasm and curiosity. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
• ↑ http://libguides.mit.edu/select-topic
• ↑ https://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/research-help/topics
• ↑ https://libraries.indiana.edu/sites/default/files/Develop_a_Research_Question.pdf
• ↑ http://libguides.mit.edu/c.php?g=175961&p=1160160#s-lg-box-wrapper-4114979
• ↑ http://libguides.mit.edu/c.php?g=175961&p=1160160#791450
• ↑ https://files.bucknell.edu/Documents/ISR/topic.pdf
• ↑ Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.. Educational Consultant. Expert Interview. 18 June 2020.
• ↑ http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/outline

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Research Help

Choosing a topic.

• Library Research

Getting Started

• Developing a Thesis
• Finding Sources
• Interlibrary Loan This link opens in a new window
• Writing and Re-Writing
• Evaluating Sources
• Citing Sources This link opens in a new window
• Data & Statistics
• Using Images
• Additional Resources
• ESL Resources
• College 101
• Primary Sources
• Library Tutorials
• Graduate Studies

Choosing a topic is the first and maybe the most important step of the research and writing process! This step will determine the rest of your steps -- what your thesis statement is, what sources you use, and how to write your paper. So it's important to make sure you choose a strong and engaging topic.

Strategies for finding a topic:

• Look over the index and the article titles in a subject-specific encyclopedia that covers a relevant subject area or discipline. Check out our print collection available in the Information Commons. (Additional sources can be found by searching the catalog for titles in the general collection.)
• Spend some time looking at major journals in your field (look for the white binder in the reading room for a list of current periodicals by subject).
• Browse your subject area in one of our digital reference sources .
• Discuss topic ideas with your instructor or favorite reference librarian!

Good questions to ask yourself when choosing a topic are:

• Is this a topic that interests me?
• Is this a topic that is creative and has not been overdone?
• Is this a topic that is not too broad or too narrow to meet the assignment requirements?

When you pick your topic, it's not set in stone. Picking and adjusting your topic is an integral part of the research process!

How to Develop a Good Research Topic

Need Help Choosing a Topic?

Sometimes it can be difficult to think up a great research topic. Have no fear -- Taylor Library is here to help! Check out these database and websites to get some ideas.

Once you have a topic in mind:

• Consider first the broad subjects that deal with your topic.
• Narrow this down, keeping your topic in mind.
• Focus closer: limit your topic to specifics, such as geography, time, and culture.
• Write down topic phrases; this helps you come up with key words and questions that will help you in your research.
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• Next: Getting Started >>
• Last Updated: Jul 31, 2024 2:51 PM
• URL: https://library.fontbonne.edu/research

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Research questions, developing a strong research question.

The question around which you center your research for a research paper will help you focus your work by providing a path through the research and writing processes. A well-developed research question will help you work toward supporting a specific, arguable thesis.

Steps to developing a strong research question:

• Choose a general topic, preferably one you are genuinely interested in learning more about.
• Do some preliminary research. What issues are scholars writing about when it comes to this topic? What questions are you asking in your freewrites as you read and respond to these articles?
• Ask yourself open-ended questions, such as questions that begin with “how” and “why” about your topic. This will help you narrow your focus from the initial, broad topic to something more manageable.

Types of research questions:

• Emancipatory research questions aim to produce knowledge that allows for engagement in social action.
• Explanatory research questions seek to examine reasons for and associations between what exists.
• Exploratory research questions investigate little-known areas of a particular topic.
• Generative research questions aim to provide new ideas for the development of theories and actions.

Your research question should be:

Clear . Your question should provide enough specifics that your reader can understand its purpose without additional explanation or further research on their own. (Do they need to Google your topic to know what it really is? How can you make it clearer, if so.)

Focused . Your question should be narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly before your paper is due. Too broad a question could take all semester to answer! Ask yourself what’s possible given the timeline for this assignment.

Complex . Your question should not be answerable with a simple “yes” or “no.” It needs to require analysis of ideas and synthesis of the sources you read before you are able to posit a possible answer in your thesis or conclusion.

Arguable . The potential answers to your question should be open to debate, not accepted as facts. If your reader would say, “Yes, of course,” to your conclusion, you haven’t posited an original idea.

Not sure if your question meets these standards? Make an appointment with a writing tutor or the director of the writing center to get some feedback!

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Speaker 1: Hi guys, in this video we are going to talk about how do you choose a research topic. So if you are in your final year of undergrad or doing your masters or PhD, you will come across this juncture where you have to complete a research project and the first thing that you need to do is choose a research topic. So how do you even go about it? How much time does it take to choose a topic? And what are some of the things that you need to keep in mind while choosing a research topic? Well, let's find out. I am Neha Agrawal. I am the founder of VizUp Communications and I have three research papers in journals of international repute. In this video, I am going to share with you what are the three different criterias that the research topic you choose should fulfill. After that, I will also share with you the different ways how you can choose a research topic and you can go for the one which works best for you. So let's begin. The first criteria that your research topic should satisfy is that it should be interesting. If the topic is not interesting to you, you will not have the motivation to dig deeper and learn more about it. Also, conducting research is not easy. It can get monotonous when you have to work on the same topic for a very long time. It can also be frustrating sometimes if you are not getting the results that you actually hoped for. So if the topic is not interesting to you, you will lose the motivation to continue on that journey and complete the project. So choosing a topic that appeals to you is very important. The next criteria is novelty. The problem that you choose to solve should be new, should be innovative, something nobody has done before, no matter how small the problem is. There is no point in repeating something that has already been done by some other researcher. So do your literature survey very carefully, read a lot of research papers pertaining to that topic and make sure that the problem you are trying to solve is novel. Finally, the third criteria to choose your research topic is that it should be manageable. When you are in your final year of undergrad or doing your masters, you have limited time to complete a research project. So choose a topic which is manageable and can be completed in the given time frame. Sometimes what happens is that we underestimate the demands of the research project and then college gets over and you are forced to submit the project even if you have not completed it fully. And the worst part is that it remains abandoned and no tangible outcome comes out of it like a research paper or a conference presentation. So from the very beginning, choose a research topic which is manageable and can be completed in the given time frame. So now that you know what are the different criteria that your research topic should fulfil, let's see how are you supposed to choose a research topic. The first and the most easiest way to choose a research topic is to approach a professor. If you are studying in a research focused institute, professors usually have their own research groups and multiple research projects running parallelly. So what you can do is approach a professor and ask them if they have any research problem for you to solve. If they do, they will share a research topic with you or even link you with somebody from their research group, either a PhD or a postdoc to help you out. Then you can learn more about the topic by reading review papers, books, research articles and even discussing with the members of the research group. Through this way you will have a research topic almost instantly and with guidance you will be able to complete your research project as well. The second way to choose a research topic gives you slightly more flexibility in understanding what you like and then figuring out the research topic on your own. So here what you can do is visit the website of your college or any other institute for that matter where you would like to conduct your research project. Look at the research that is being conducted by the different research groups of that institute. Let me share an example here. Since I am an alumnus of NTU Singapore, I will go to NTU's website and then to the specific school which is the School of Material Science and Engineering. Here I can see the research that is being conducted by different research groups of that school. Now I will pick any professor to zoom into their research areas. Say for example I pick Prof. Chen Zong. He is conducting the research on all these topics. I look at the papers that have been published by him and I choose one of them and start reading it. When I do this, I will be able to understand more about the topic and also see whether it interests me or not. Why I am suggesting this process to you because in this way you will be able to know what is the latest research that is happening all across the world. Now say for example the topic does interest you. Then you can start backtracking the paper. Read the research paper carefully and pick out some keywords that have been used again and again. Download more papers related to those keywords and try to understand its meaning. When you keep backtracking the paper in this way, you will be able to establish the fundamentals on which this research is based upon. And once you have understood the fundamentals, you can dig deeper into the topic and finally arrive at a problem that nobody else has been able to solve. So through this method, you can choose a topic that really interests you and it also gives you the flexibility to either work with that professor or anywhere else where the research facilities are available. However, this process is slightly lengthy. It can take you up to 1-2 months of good literature survey to finally arrive at your research topic. The third and the final way to choose your research topic is the most traditional way. It takes the maximum time but the foundation that it builds for you is something that helps you throughout your research journey. So here what you should do is choose a broad topic that interests you and then keep digging deeper until you arrive at a problem that other researchers have not been able to solve. So let me explain this with an example. Say a broad area that interests you is nanotechnology. To know more about nanotechnology, you can download review papers to understand which are the current areas on which nanotechnology research is taking place. Then you will come across multiple areas like nanomaterials, nanomedicine, drug delivery, energy storage and even solar cells. Read the review papers to learn more about these different topics. After reading, say for example, you feel that you connect with solar cells research. So again what you can do is read a lot of books, articles, review papers to understand what is happening in solar cell research. You will come across different areas again. Say for example, what are the different materials that are being used to make solar cells or what are the different fabrication processes through which solar cells are made. Out of those, say solar cell materials really interest you. Then you again download papers and read more about it. So continue this process till you finally arrive at a problem that other researchers have not been able to solve. Say for example, in this case, you arrive at a problem that a particular material that is used to make solar cells which is perovskite, the other researchers have not been able to increase its efficiency beyond 10%. So there you go. That can be your research topic to increase the efficiency of perovskite based solar cells so that they function even better. As I said earlier, this process is long and it can take somewhere between three to six months for you to finalize your research topic. But the foundation that you will build for yourself from this process, it will be rock solid. If at any point you feel that you're getting lost and you need guidance, don't feel afraid to seek out help from professors or researchers in this process. So guys, these are the three different ways how people in academia usually go about choosing their research topics. You can choose any of the method based on what works best for you and the resources that are available to you. If you want me to make more videos on how to conduct research, do hit the like button and subscribe to this channel. You can also join me for my research paper writing workshop. The link is given in the description. And now wishing you all the very best for your research journey ahead.

Dissertation Topics: 190 Best Ideas

Coming up with the right dissertation topics is one of the most important decisions you'll make in your academic life. With so many fields to explore, finding a subject that not only interests you but also has enough research material can feel overwhelming. In 2024, some topics are gaining particular attention:

• Sustainability and environmental challenges
• Artificial intelligence and its impact on society
• Mental health and well-being
• The future of work and remote employment
• Social media's role in shaping political discourse

In this article, we'll guide you through these trending dissertation topics and provide insights into choosing one that suits your interests and goals. We'll also cover how to approach your research and craft a strong argument without getting lost in the process. If you still find yourself stuck after reading, DoMyEssay offers top-tier assistance to help you with writing a dissertation and beyond.

Top 10 Dissertation Topics for 2024

When it comes to writing a dissertation, choosing a topic that's relevant, engaging, and forward-thinking is crucial. For 2024, some topics stand out due to their timeliness and the growing body of research around them. Here are ten new dissertation topics that are particularly relevant this year:

• Climate Change Adaptation Policies: How are governments evolving their strategies to cope with the ever-accelerating climate crisis?
• AI in Healthcare: The ethical implications and potential benefits of integrating AI into patient care and medical diagnostics.
• Cryptocurrency Regulation: The impact of government regulations on the crypto market and investor behavior.
• Mental Health in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: How have remote work and hybrid models changed employee mental health support systems?
• Sustainable Fashion: How is the fashion industry responding to sustainability demands from consumers and environmental groups?
• Cybersecurity in a Data-Driven World: Assess the rise of cyber threats as industries increasingly rely on big data.
• Renewable Energy Transition: The challenges and breakthroughs in moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
• Social Media's Influence on Public Opinion: How are platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok shaping global political movements?
• The Future of Education: The role of virtual and augmented reality in transforming traditional learning environments.
• Gender Equality in Corporate Leadership: Progress and roadblocks in achieving gender parity in executive roles.

Economics Dissertation Topics

Here are 10 unique topics that offer a fresh perspective on key economic issues, giving you a solid starting point for in-depth research.

• How do cryptocurrency regulations impact global financial stability?
• What role does AI play in shaping modern economic forecasting models?
• How has remote work affected productivity and wage inequality in developed economies?
• Can universal basic income reduce poverty in high-income countries?
• How does climate change influence global trade patterns and resource allocation?
• What are the long-term economic effects of the gig economy on traditional labor markets?
• How does social media advertising impact consumer behavior and economic growth?
• What are the economic consequences of shifting to renewable energy sources?
• How do international sanctions affect the economic development of targeted countries?
• What is the impact of rising inflation on small businesses in emerging markets?

Business Dissertation Topics

When it comes to business dissertations, focusing on current trends and challenges is key. Each question below tackles a unique aspect of the evolving business landscape.

• How does corporate social responsibility influence consumer loyalty in 2024?
• What are the most effective leadership styles in hybrid work environments?
• How do start-ups use innovation to compete with established brands in crowded markets?
• What is the role of emotional intelligence in modern business negotiations?
• How do data-driven strategies improve decision-making in the retail sector?
• What are the key factors affecting the success of mergers and acquisitions in tech companies?
• How does influencer marketing impact brand credibility and sales growth?
• What are the long-term effects of supply chain disruptions on global business operations?
• How do sustainability practices impact profitability in the fashion industry?
• What is the role of workplace diversity in enhancing creativity and innovation?

Dissertation Ideas in Management

These management-focused ideas offer timely topics for research while addressing real-world challenges in modern organizations.

• How can companies build a resilient workforce in the face of global crises?
• What are the most effective strategies for managing remote teams across multiple time zones?
• How does emotional intelligence in leadership improve employee performance and satisfaction?
• What role does digital transformation play in streamlining operations in large organizations?
• How can change management frameworks help companies adapt to disruptive technologies?
• What are the best practices for managing diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
• How can performance management systems be redesigned to suit hybrid work models?
• What impact does ethical leadership have on organizational culture and long-term success?
• How can agile project management be effectively implemented in non-tech industries?
• What strategies help reduce employee burnout and improve retention in high-pressure industries?

Finance Dissertation Ideas

Finance is a field rich with complex, evolving topics. Here are ten dissertation ideas in finance, each presenting a unique angle for exploration:

• How do interest rate changes impact investment decisions in emerging markets?
• What are the effects of fintech innovations on traditional banking practices?
• How can risk management strategies be optimized for volatile cryptocurrency markets?
• What role does behavioral finance play in stock market volatility?
• How do environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors influence investment portfolios?
• What are the economic implications of high-frequency trading on market stability?
• How do regulatory changes affect financial market efficiency and investor behavior?
• What impact does corporate governance have on financial performance and shareholder value?
• How can predictive analytics improve credit risk assessment for financial institutions?
• What are the financial risks and opportunities associated with sustainable investment funds?

Dissertation Topics in Marketing

These topics focus on contemporary issues and innovations in marketing, providing a range of options for impactful research.

• How does personalized marketing affect customer loyalty and retention in e-commerce?
• What are the impacts of influencer marketing on brand perception and sales conversion?
• How can companies leverage big data to enhance their digital marketing strategies?
• What role do mobile marketing strategies play in influencing consumer purchasing decisions?
• How do environmental and sustainability claims influence consumer brand trust and purchase behavior?
• What are the effects of social media advertising on brand equity and consumer engagement?
• How can businesses effectively use customer feedback to drive product development and marketing strategies?
• What are the challenges and opportunities of integrating artificial intelligence into marketing automation?
• How does cross-cultural marketing impact global brand positioning and market entry strategies?
• What are the trends and effectiveness of experiential marketing in enhancing brand experiences?

Dissertation Topics in Accounting

Accounting is important for managing financial health and ensuring compliance. Here are ten dissertation topics in accounting, each offering a fresh perspective on key issues and developments:

• How do blockchain technologies improve transparency and reduce fraud in financial reporting?
• What are the effects of new accounting standards on financial statements and investor decisions?
• How can forensic accounting techniques be enhanced to better detect financial irregularities?
• What impact do tax reforms have on corporate financial strategies and compliance?
• How does environmental accounting contribute to corporate sustainability and reporting practices?
• What role does artificial intelligence play in automating and improving auditing processes?
• How do international accounting standards affect financial reporting for multinational corporations?
• What are the implications of revenue recognition changes on performance metrics and financial health?
• How can small businesses effectively manage and report financial risks in a volatile economy?
• What are the challenges and benefits of integrating cost management systems into strategic decision-making?

Human Resources Dissertation Topics

These topics cover contemporary issues and advancements in HR, providing a range of options for in-depth and impactful research.

• How can organizations effectively implement remote work policies while maintaining employee engagement and productivity?
• What are the impacts of AI and automation on HR practices and job roles?
• How does diversity and inclusion training influence workplace culture and employee performance?
• What strategies can HR departments use to address and reduce employee burnout in high-stress industries?
• How does employee well-being and mental health support impact organizational performance and retention?
• What are the best practices for managing talent acquisition in a competitive job market?
• How can HR analytics be utilized to improve decision-making and workforce planning?
• What role does leadership development play in preparing employees for succession planning?
• How do compensation and benefits strategies affect employee satisfaction and organizational loyalty?
• What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing effective performance management systems?

Political Science Dissertation Titles

Political Science examines the dynamics of power, governance, and policy.

• How do migration and refugee crises affect national security policies and international diplomacy?
• What are the consequences of foreign interference in democratic elections on national sovereignty?
• How does the rise of authoritarian regimes challenge global human rights standards?
• What role does political ideology play in shaping public policy and legislative outcomes?
• How do social media platforms influence political mobilization and public opinion?
• What are the effects of populist movements on democratic institutions and governance?
• How do international sanctions impact the political stability and economic development of targeted nations?
• What role does political corruption play in undermining democratic processes and reforms?
• How do environmental policies shape political agendas and international relations?
• What are the impacts of electoral system reforms on political representation and voter participation?

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Law Dissertation Topics

Law is a vast field with many evolving areas of interest. Here are ten dissertation topics in law, each focusing on contemporary issues and legal challenges:

• How do recent changes in data protection laws impact corporate compliance and consumer privacy?
• What are the legal implications of autonomous vehicles on liability and insurance frameworks?
• How do international human rights treaties influence domestic legal systems and practices?
• What role does corporate governance play in preventing financial fraud and ensuring ethical business practices?
• How effective are current anti-terrorism laws in balancing national security and civil liberties?
• What are the legal challenges and opportunities in regulating cryptocurrency and digital assets?
• How does the rise of environmental litigation affect corporate environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance?
• What are the legal implications of remote work on labor laws and employment contracts?
• How do family law reforms impact child custody decisions and parental rights?
• What are the effects of legal reforms on access to justice and legal representation for marginalized communities?

History Dissertation Topic Ideas

These history dissertation topics are designed to shed light on significant and unique aspects of the past:

• How did the rise of industrialization impact social structures and labor conditions in 19th-century Europe?
• What were the long-term effects of colonialism on indigenous cultures and economies in Africa?
• How did the Cold War influence global political alignments and conflicts in the Middle East?
• What role did women play in social and political movements during the early 20th century?
• How did the Great Depression shape economic policies and social welfare programs in the United States?
• What were the causes and consequences of the fall of the Roman Empire on European civilization?
• How did technological advancements during World War II alter warfare strategies and post-war geopolitics?
• What impact did the Civil Rights Movement have on legislation and race relations in post-1960s America?
• How did the Silk Road facilitate cultural and economic exchanges between East and West in ancient times?
• What were the effects of political revolutions in Latin America on regional stability and international relations?

Psychology Dissertation Topics

The psychology dissertation topics below cover a wide range of topics related to human behavior and mental processes.

• What role does early childhood trauma play in the development of personality disorders?
• How do sleep patterns affect cognitive functioning and emotional regulation in young adults?
• What are the psychological effects of remote work on employee motivation and job satisfaction?
• How does attachment style influence romantic relationships and relationship satisfaction?
• What are the impacts of virtual reality exposure therapy on treating phobias and PTSD?
• How does social media use impact adolescent self-esteem and mental health?
• What are the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety and depression in adults?
• How do cognitive biases influence decision-making in high-stress environments?
• How does cultural background affect the perception and treatment of mental health issues?
• What are the psychological factors contributing to addiction and effective strategies for intervention?

Sociology Dissertation Topics

Here are ten social work dissertation topics that examine the complex interactions between individuals and society:

• What are the social consequences of rising political polarization and partisan identity?
• How does the gig economy impact traditional employment structures and worker rights?
• What are the effects of environmental degradation on marginalized communities and social justice?
• How does the rise of digital technologies influence social relationships and interpersonal communication?
• What are the implications of aging populations on healthcare systems and social policies?
• How does social media influence identity formation and self-perception among teenagers?
• What are the effects of urbanization on community cohesion and social networks in modern cities?
• How does economic inequality impact access to education and social mobility?
• What role does family structure play in shaping children's academic and social outcomes?
• How do migration and globalization affect cultural identity and integration in host societies?

PhD Dissertation Topics

PhD dissertations often tackle complex and advanced subjects.

• How can adaptive algorithms improve real-time decision-making in autonomous drone systems?
• What are the long-term impacts of synthetic biology on ecological balance and biodiversity?
• How do blockchain technologies influence transparency and accountability in supply chain management?
• What are the effects of neuroplasticity-focused interventions on cognitive rehabilitation for brain injury survivors?
• How can advanced data analytics reshape predictive models for rare disease diagnostics?
• What role does gene-environment interaction play in the development of complex psychiatric disorders?
• How does the integration of augmented reality in educational settings affect student engagement and learning outcomes?
• What are the implications of nanotechnology in the development of next-generation drug delivery systems?
• How do sociopolitical narratives shape the perception and policy responses to emerging infectious diseases?
• What are the ethical considerations and societal impacts of using AI in autonomous legal decision-making systems?

Ecology Dissertation Ideas

These topics explore different aspects of ecosystems and environmental interactions:

• How does climate change affect the migration patterns of avian species?
• What are the impacts of deforestation on biodiversity and ecosystem services in tropical rainforests?
• How do invasive species alter native ecosystems and food webs?
• What role do urban green spaces play in supporting local wildlife and improving ecological health?
• How does pollution from agricultural runoff affect aquatic ecosystems and water quality?
• What are the effects of habitat fragmentation on animal behavior and population dynamics?
• How do conservation strategies influence the recovery and resilience of endangered species?
• What is the impact of ocean acidification on marine biodiversity and coral reef ecosystems?
• How do changes in land use impact soil health and ecosystem productivity?
• What role do ecological interactions play in the spread and control of zoonotic diseases?

Biology Dissertation Topics

Biology covers the study of living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

• How do genetic modifications impact the resistance of crops to pests and diseases?
• What are the effects of climate change on marine biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics?
• How do microbial communities in the gut influence human health and disease?
• What are the mechanisms of resistance development in bacteria against antibiotics?
• How does habitat loss affect the genetic diversity and survival of endangered species?
• What role do epigenetic changes play in cancer development and progression?
• How can CRISPR technology be used to address genetic disorders and enhance gene therapy?
• What are the ecological impacts of plastic pollution on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems?
• How do plant-pollinator interactions affect crop yields and ecosystem stability?
• What are the implications of evolutionary biology for understanding human diseases and treatments?

Dissertation Topics in Educational Leadership

These education dissertation topics focus on critical issues and trends in the field:

• How do transformational leadership styles impact teacher motivation and student achievement?
• What are the effects of school leadership on implementing inclusive education practices?
• How does distributed leadership influence decision-making and collaboration in schools?
• What role does educational leadership play in addressing and reducing achievement gaps?
• How can leaders effectively manage and support the integration of technology in the classroom?
• What are the challenges and benefits of leadership in diverse and multicultural school settings?
• How do principal leadership practices affect school culture and climate?
• What strategies can educational leaders use to foster professional development and continuous learning among teachers?
• How does leadership in early childhood education differ from leadership in K-12 settings?
• What are the impacts of policy changes on school leadership and educational outcomes?

Dissertation Topics in Education

Here are ten education dissertation topics covering a range of issues within the field.

• How does early childhood education impact long-term academic success and social development?
• What are the effects of differentiated instruction on student engagement and learning outcomes?
• How can educational institutions effectively support students with learning disabilities?
• What is the role of parental involvement in enhancing student performance and motivation?
• How do online learning platforms compare to traditional classroom settings in terms of student achievement?
• What are the challenges and opportunities of implementing culturally responsive teaching practices?
• How does formative assessment influence student learning and instructional strategies?
• What impact does school leadership have on teacher job satisfaction and retention?
• How can schools address and prevent bullying through educational programs and policies?
• What are the effects of integrating social-emotional learning into the school curriculum on student behavior and academic performance?

Dissertation Topics in Higher Education

Higher education is a dynamic field with many areas ripe for exploration.

• How do university admissions policies impact diversity and inclusion in higher education institutions?
• What are the effects of online learning platforms on student engagement and academic performance in higher education?
• How can higher education institutions better support first-generation college students?
• What role does academic advising play in student retention and success in university settings?
• How do financial aid programs influence students' academic choices and career outcomes?
• What are the impacts of global exchange programs on students' cultural competence and academic growth?
• How does campus climate affect student mental health and well-being in higher education institutions?
• What strategies can universities employ to enhance the integration of career readiness into the curriculum?
• How do faculty development programs impact teaching effectiveness and student learning in higher education?
• What are the challenges and opportunities of implementing sustainability practices within university operations and curricula?

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How to Choose a Dissertation Topic?

Choosing topics for dissertation on your own doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's a straightforward approach to help you land on the perfect subject:

• Check the Research Gaps: Look for areas in your field that haven't been fully explored yet, offering you a chance to contribute something new.
• Consider Relevance: Make sure the topic is timely and has a connection to current trends or future developments in your field.
• Scope It Right: Don't choose a topic that's too broad or too narrow. Aim for one with enough material to explore but manageable within your timeline.
• Availability of Resources: Ensure you have access to the necessary data, studies, and experts to support your research.
• Consult Your Advisor: Don't hesitate to discuss your dissertation ideas with your advisor. Their feedback can help refine your topic and make it more focused.

Where to Look For a Unique Dissertation Topic?

Here are some simple yet effective ways to discover truly great topics for dissertation :

• Academic Journals: Browse the latest issues of relevant journals to spot emerging trends or unexplored areas of research.
• Conferences and Seminars: Attending academic events can expose you to cutting-edge research and provide inspiration for your topic.
• Online Databases: Platforms like Google Scholar or JSTOR are excellent for identifying recent studies and some great examples of dissertation topics.
• Current News and Industry Reports: Look for real-world issues in your field by staying up to date with news articles and industry reports. These sources often highlight hot topics.
• Your Own Work Experience: If applicable, draw from any personal experience or previous research projects that you can expand upon or dive deeper into.

What Does a Good Dissertation Title Look Like?

Once you've settled on a topic, crafting the right title is the next critical step. A strong dissertation title should do more than just summarize your research—it should grab attention and clearly communicate the focus of your study. Here's what makes a good dissertation title:

• Clarity: Your title should be straightforward and easy to understand, leaving no room for confusion about what your dissertation ideas cover.
• Specificity: A good title narrows down your topic to a specific area, highlighting exactly what your research will focus on.
• Relevance: Ensure the title reflects current issues or debates within your field. It should immediately signal why your research matters.
• Conciseness: Keep it short and to the point. Long, complicated titles can be overwhelming and less memorable.
• Keywords: Include key terms related to your topic that will help others find your work during searches.

What are Some Relevant Ideas to Research in 2024?

As we move through 2024, certain areas of research are more relevant than ever, especially in fields like AI, technology, and politics. These subjects are constantly evolving, offering plenty of opportunities for fresh and impactful research:

• Artificial Intelligence: Focus on the ethical implications, advancements in machine learning, or AI's impact on industries such as healthcare, education, or the job market.
• Technology: Explore emerging technologies like blockchain, quantum computing, or virtual reality and how they're transforming sectors like finance, entertainment, or data security.
• Politics: Research the influence of social media on political movements, the rise of populism, or how global events are shaping new policies and governance models.

Final Remarks

In 2024, some of the hottest areas for research include:

• The ongoing challenges of climate change policies
• AI's role in modern industries
• Mental health in the workplace
• Cryptocurrency regulations
• The rise of sustainable practices across different sectors.

Whether you're drawn to technology's advancements, the future of education, or gender equality in leadership, there's no shortage of fascinating directions you can take your research. If you're still feeling unsure about which topic is right for you, DoMyEssay's dissertation writing service is ready to step in and assist—not only with writing but even helping you pinpoint a unique topic that suits your interests and academic goals.

How to Choose the Perfect Presentation Topic: A Detailed Guide

Discover how to choose the perfect presentation topic with our detailed guide, including tips on audience understanding, brainstorming, and content preparation.

Table of Contents

Understanding your audience, identifying your purpose, brainstorming techniques, researching potential topics, evaluating your topics, narrowing down to the best topic, creating a compelling title, preparing your content, tips for delivering an engaging presentation, key factors to consider:.

• Demographics: Consider the age, education level, and professional background of your audience. For instance, a technical presentation for a group of engineers will differ vastly from a general overview for high school students.
• Interests and Expectations: What is your audience interested in? What do they hope to gain from your presentation? Knowing this can help you tailor your content to meet their needs and expectations.
• Prior Knowledge: Assess how much your audience already knows about the topic. You don’t want to spend too much time on basics if they are already familiar with them, nor do you want to dive into complex details that they won’t understand.

Common Objectives:

• To Inform: Focus on educating your audience about a specific topic. Your goal is to increase their knowledge or understanding.
• To Persuade: Convince your audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific action.
• To Entertain: Make your presentation enjoyable while still being informative.
• To Inspire: Motivate your audience to think differently or take action based on your message.

1. Mind Mapping

2. swot analysis, 3. free writing, 4. keyword research, 5. audience polling, research tips:.

• Check for Available Resources: Ensure that there is enough information available on the topic to create a well-rounded presentation.
• Identify Key Points: Determine the key points you want to cover. This will help you assess whether the topic is too broad or too narrow.
• Look for Recent Developments: Make sure your topic is up-to-date. Including recent developments or trends can make your presentation more relevant and engaging.
• Relevance to Audience: Does the topic address your audience’s needs and interests?
• Personal Interest: Are you genuinely interested in the topic? Your enthusiasm will come through in your presentation.
• Availability of Information: Is there enough material available to create a comprehensive presentation?
• Scope: Is the topic too broad or too narrow? You want to be able to cover your topic adequately within the time frame.
• Test Your Ideas: Create a brief outline for each topic. Which one seems to flow better? Which one has more depth?
• Seek Feedback: If possible, get feedback from colleagues, mentors, or potential audience members. They can provide valuable perspectives that you may not have considered.

Tips for Crafting a Great Title:

• Be Specific: A specific title gives your audience a clear idea of what to expect. For example, “Effective Time Management Strategies for Busy Professionals” is more compelling than “Time Management.”
• Include a Benefit: Highlight what your audience will gain from your presentation. For example, “Boost Your Productivity with These Time Management Hacks.”
• Use Power Words: Words like “Ultimate,” “Essential,” “Guide,” or “Proven” can make your title more engaging.

1. Introduction

• Hook: Start with a question, statistic, or anecdote to grab attention.
• Purpose: Clearly state the purpose of your presentation.
• Overview: Briefly outline the main points you will cover.
• Main Points: Organize your content into 2-5 main points. Each point should be supported by data, examples, or stories.
• Visuals: Use visuals like charts, graphs, and images to reinforce your message.
• Transitions: Use clear transitions between points to maintain flow and coherence.

3. Conclusion

• Summary: Recap the main points of your presentation.
• Call to Action: If applicable, tell your audience what you want them to do next.
• Q&A: Prepare for questions that your audience may have.

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

2. use body language, 3. vary your voice, 4. interactive elements, 5. time management, create ppt using ai.

Just Enter Topic, Youtube URL, PDF, or Text to get a beautiful PPT in seconds. Use the bulb for AI suggestions.

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Ayan Ahmad Fareedi

writer at MagicSlides

10-Minute Presentation Topics: 100+ Ideas for Your Next Presentation

27 September 2024

Interesting Psychology Topics for Presentation for Students: 100+ Topics

Mental Health Topics for Presentation for Students: 100+ Ideas to Get Started

Leadership Topics for Presentation for Students: 100+ Topics to Inspire and Educate

Persuasive Presentation Topics for Students: 100+ Compelling Ideas

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

7 Tips for Finding Perfect Character Names

September 26, 2024 by BECCA PUGLISI 5 Comments

How much time do we spend thinking up character names?

That name will represent the character we love, so the pressure’s on to get it right. And no one wants to get halfway through a manuscript and realize they have to make a change. Find and replace on that scale, with something that important? No thank you.

Resources abound on the common problems we see with character names (impossible pronunciations, contrived spellings, too many similar-sounding names), so I don’t need to cover that ground. Instead, I’d like to provide some tricks for finding a name that’s perfect for your character.

1. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Sometimes, a simple name is best. One that’s invisible to the reader and doesn’t call attention to itself. In this case, don’t go through mental gymnastics to come up with something new when there are thousands of names that already exist. Here are some resources for finding those.

• Baby Name Books
• Encyclopedias
• Obituaries . Agatha Christie liked these.
• Your Own Family Tree
• Maps and Atlases . Paris, Jordan, Brooklyn, Asia—get inspired by names of other places.
• Graveyards . If it was good enough for Rowling…
• The Social Security Administration’s Listing of Popular Baby Names by Year . This can be helpful if you’re writing a period piece and want to find a popular name, you want to avoid something that’s too common, or you’re looking for inspiration.
• Name generators . I like Reedsy’s , which lets you search up fantasy and medieval names, as well as those based on certain languages.

These are helpful for brainstorming real names. But if you’d like a moniker with more gravitas that fits your character and story, keep the following tips in mind.

2. Know the Character’s Role

The more important a character is to the story, the more memorable or purposeful their name can be. The opposite is true for background characters, because a peripheral character with an interesting or attention-grabbing name could pull the reader’s attention where you don’t want it and make them think there’s more going on back there than there really is. For those characters, consider a more common name, just a first name, or no name at all.

3. Choose Something that Characterizes

Think about what a character’s name could reveal about them. The obvious tells point to a character’s race, religion, gender, or the time they live in. In some cultures, it could identify their profession.

Also, consider what the character does with their name. Do they shorten it or use it in its entirety in the most pretentious way (Charles Emerson Winchester the Third, anyone)? Do they use a nickname that says something about their preferences, ideals, or attitude? If the character came up with it themselves, it often will say something about them.

4. Explore the Root Meaning

One way to subtly characterize is to choose a name with deeper meaning.

• Beorn , the shape-shifting warrior in The Hobbit , comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning warrior/chieftain and an Old Norse word for bear.
• Kreacher —sniveling house elf to the Regulus family in Harry Potter —comes from the German word kriecher : to creep, crawl, grovel, cringe, or fawn upon.
• Shrek is Yiddish for fright.
• And then there’s Percy Wetmore , The Green Mile ’s bullying, cowardly antagonist who’s such a wuss he ends up peeing his pants in fear.

Behind the Name is a great tool that provides the etymology and history of many names. Even if readers don’t know the underlying meaning, a name with significance will often work because of the way it sounds or the connotations it evokes. And that brings us to the next tip:

5. Utilize Sound Devices

Did you know that explosive consonants have a jarring and unsettling effect to the hearer? These sounds ( p ,  b ,  d ,  g ,  k ,  ch- ,  sh-) can work well for a villain’s name—Gordon Gekko, Krampus, Count Dracula, and the like. On the flip side, harmonious/soft consonants (l ,  m ,  n ,  r , th ,  wh , soft  f , soft  v ) may be good for peaceful or nurturing characters, such as Luna Lovegood or Melanie Wilkes ( Gone with the Wind ). There are obvious exceptions, but the sound of a name is a good place to start when you’re trying to figure out the right handle for a character.

6. Evoke a Desired Response

To build on the last point, devise a memorable name by making the whole thing alliterative, musical, lilting, quirky, unnerving, or unsettling—whatever you’re going for. Inigo Montoya, Sam Spade, Boo Radley, Scheherazade, and Ponyboy Curtis are good examples. What do you want your character’s name to bring to the reader’s mind? Create an overall sound that fits.

7. Tie it to the Story’s Theme

What message do you want to convey , and how does the character relate to it? One of the themes of Watership Down circles leadership. Hazel must lead his band of reluctant rabbits to a new home, but he has no special skills; he’s not fast like Dandelion or strong like Bigwig. He’s just a regular guy. The rabbits in this story are all named after plants, so you’d expect the leader to have a grand, inspiring name, but Hazel, in lupine, simply means “tree.” His name reflects the story’s thematic message, that leadership doesn’t require flash and charisma; it often just means being willing to do what must be done.

There are so many tips for coming up with the perfect name for a character. But as always, the name needs to fit both them and the story. If readers are pulled out of the narrative because they’re enamored with (or confused by) them, we’ve led them astray. So have fun digging into those names, but remember that they’re just one part of the bigger picture.

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers —a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

September 27, 2024 at 5:27 am

Choosing names is one thing I really enjoy. In my fantasy books, I don’t use ‘real’ names. And I fantasy I read, I find ‘real’ names does tend to irritate me. On a planet, and land, that has nothing to do with Earth, and maybe in a different dimension, it’s not feasible that someone should be called David or Sophie. Or even Sasha, or Ali. One technique I use is to combine two regular names. For example, I took David and Michael to come up with Davrael.

Another way would be to look at the score of sports matches. Often, the names are abbreviated, so you could run them together. E.g. Manchester United (or City, I suppose) ahainst Arsenal would be shown as Man v Ars, so that could be Manars, or Arsman.

In my historical novels I had great fun looking up Roman names, Celtic names, Danish (Viking) names and Anglo Saxon names.

But I wholeheartedly agree with fitting names to people. I almost missed out on a great series, Magician, because I thought the name Pug was stupid. (I still do!)

September 27, 2024 at 9:10 am

Yes, made-up names for made-up worlds is a whole other thing. But I like that you still can use existing names for inspiration, or upcycle them to create something new. Thanks for sharing your process!

September 26, 2024 at 8:41 am

And as I realized after my first book, don’t have names that begin with the same first letter as main characters. (It fortunately worked.) As a reader of science fiction and fantasy, I usually just brainstorm a bunch of odd, alien-sounding names. Once I have a good list, I match them to the characters. Main character names have already come to me at that point, so it’s mainly for the secondary characters.

September 26, 2024 at 10:33 am

Yes! The too-many-familiar-sounding names issue. I especially love when that happens in a story where a million characters are introduced at once ;).

September 27, 2024 at 5:30 am

I absolutely agree with that. I gave up on a book because the main family all had similar names. A dynastic thing, it was supposed to be, but to me it was just confusing.

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