Most of the time, research project work in higher education is a tough nut for final-year students to crack. It frequently has a high credit unit load compared to other standard courses. The CGPA is significantly boosted by distinction or an A+ on a project, and vice versa. For your academic research paper to succeed, choosing the right topic is of the utmost importance.
Your professor expects you to discover something intriguing, ground-breaking, and pertinent within your disciplinary fields. The deadline for submitting your thesis topic, i.e., law dissertation topics, draws nearer every day, which makes you more anxious. This is probably more difficult than actually writing the thesis.
This blog will offer a simple 10-step procedure you can use to guarantee you choose a top-notch research topic. Using these suggestions, you can create a core research question that is appropriate and clearly defined.
Your research’s “topic” is best understood as a research question or a problem, so that’s already a helpful hint. You don’t have to write an entry for an encyclopedia in your field, whether you have to work on business management dissertation topics or medical-related topics. Your goal is to shed light on a topic that is currently being discussed or needs to be discussed. Instead of research topics, consider research questions.
There are numerous approaches to finding and selecting a research topic that might suit students, including numerous essential sources and factors to consider before making the final choice (Lei, S.A., 2009).
Following are the ways to help you find something intriguing, doable, and possibly original.
Learn about the methods used in research:
The most vital step is to understand the fundamentals of research, particularly methodology, and the unique guidelines set forth by your institution for your dissertation or thesis. Don’t succumb to the urge to move on before doing this. Go for a quick course on understanding research methods if your university hasn’t given you organized information about the research process. Alternatively, there is a ton of free information available online. Before continuing, comprehend the fundamentals of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research.
Review the university’s previous dissertations:
To get an idea of your institute’s criteria, you must look into previous dissertations submitted by students. Or evaluate your professor’s sample thesis files. You can learn whether your university has strict structure and format requirements. Or whether they expect and encourage variety in the number of chapters, chapter headings, order of content, style of presentation, and other characteristics by looking at various dissertations (at least five, ideally in your area of interest). Various departments have policies regarding graphic novels, free-flowing continental-philosophy style arguments, and rigid, standardized structures. Many provide a dissertation template that details the weighting of the various sections. Check immediately to see if you have been given one of these templates; if so, use it without trying to innovate or stray from it.
Determine your area of interest:
Determining and deciding on the area of interest is essential. Select a topic related to your field of expertise to create content for it (professionalessayservice, 2021). If you don’t like what you are doing research for, then there are going to be plenty of mistakes. You never know what boredom can make you do. A dissertation isn’t something you will complete in a day or week. It takes time and a lot of studies, so it is better to work on your area of interest.
To explore your interests, use your class assignments:
If you don’t know about your interest, then explore it. Reading is the key; read different books, fiction or nonfiction. Read books regarding your field. Or you can use other classroom assignments to choose from the topic related to your field. Start from the assignment that seemed to you the most interesting.
Pick a subject that has secondary research available:
While researching, make sure the topic you are going for has plenty of reading material. Because those readings will help you answer your research question. If you have enough secondary material, you won’t get stuck.
To begin the ideation process, look over the academic literature:
Where should you begin looking for literature? Returning to your modules is the best place to start. Take a look at your coursework and your completed assignments. The best theoretical foundation is your coursework because you can be sure that:
(1) the literature is acceptable to your university.
(2) the topics are pertinent to your particular course.
Start by deciding which modules piqued your interest and that you fully grasped (i.e., earned good marks). What were your best reports, essays, or assignments? Which sections of these piqued your interest the most? For instance, you might have found consumer decision-making or organizational trust interesting in a marketing module. Make a short list of the subjects you excelled academically and were also interested in. Selecting a subject that does not genuinely excite you is pointless because you will lose interest and motivation.
Choose and shortlist your potential research questions (topics):
Make a list of potential research topics now that you have a good knowledge of the status of the literature in your area(s) of interest. Transform your list of subjects or problems into a list of inquiries. At this point, you might discover that one research topic generates three questions, which then develop into sub-topics or even brand-new separate topics. As a result, the list expands. Let it. Let your ideas flow onto paper without hesitating or trying to evaluate them just yet.
Once you jot down a few questions and topics, review the literature to see if any of the questions have already been answered by previous studies.
Narrow down, then assess your short list of research topics:
You should have a list of potential research topics by this point. Take a few days off from thinking and ideation to free your mind. The key is to step back from your ideas so you can sit down with your list and evaluate it from a more detached perspective. It’s time to assess the situation after the unrestrained ideation phase.
Decide on a subject that inspires you:
Find your area of interest and explore it. Read what books or articles you like on that topic. Discover scholarly articles related to it. Once you know what you want to work on, go ahead and follow the other steps.
Make a choice (and abide by it!):
Once you’ve decided, don’t second-guess yourself or change your mind. Don’t let the people you left behind tempt you. You’ve thought through and planned everything, verified its viability, and are now ready to begin. You have a topic for your research. Trust your own decision, and act on it right away. Determine your area of interest.
Last Words:
A robust final year research project can be awe-inspiring, especially during interviews, which are a crucial part of your degree program. You can choose research projects based on your knowledge and abilities. In addition, it will be great if you can concentrate on producing something genuinely original.
References:
Lei, S.A., 2009. Strategies for finding and selecting an ideal thesis or dissertation topic: A review of literature. College Student Journal, 43(4), pp.1324-1333. [Accessed on: 23-09-2022]
PES. 2021. Top 10 Psychology Dissertation and Ideas. Online available at < https://www.professionalessayservice.co.uk/top-10-psychology-dissertation-topics-and-ideas/> [Accessed on: 23-09-2022]
