Choosing A Dissertation Topic
You need to consider the following points when choosing a dissertation topic: the requirements of your institution and department, your area of interest and field of study, the relevance of the proposed topic, availability of relevant resources, word requirements, and timeframe of your dissertation.
Do you have any dissertation ideas? If no, it may be hard to start, but here are a few steps to begin.
Step 1: Check the requirements:
Before choosing any topic, you need to check the requirements – the word count and submission deadline. If you do not know there are any requirements to meet, inquire from your instructor.
Step 2: Choose a broad field of research:
After knowing the requirements, select a broad field of research – this will enable you to have enough things to write. However, you should pick a topic from your field of study because you already have foundational knowledge about it.
Step 3: Look for relevant resources:
Go to academic libraries to look for resources that can help you in your dissertation writing. If you have read some articles before and are relevant to your topic, check the articles’ reference lists to see more relevant resources that you can further use.
Step 4: Find a niche
When the steps above have been followed, you need to narrow down your broad ideas. Ensure your topic is specific, build on the main idea of the study. Pick a topic that not many researchers have researched about and if there aren’t any, check for subjects that require further discussions and share your opinions.
Step 5: Consider the type of research
We have different research types. Hence, you need to know the kind of research you are writing as this will influence the aspects of the topic that need to be addressed as you narrow down your ideas.
Step 6: Determine the relevance
While ensuring that your proposed topic interests you, it must also be relevant academically, socially, or practically. To be sure your topic has relevance in any of those three areas, the topic must be connected to current issues in your field of study or society. Hence, the relevance should be stated when defining your research problem.
Step 7: Make sure it is realistic and believable.
Suppose you have carefully followed the steps above. In that case, you are almost good to go but before finalizing on a particular topic to choose, ensure the topic is realistic and hold your interest for the research process’s length.
Step 8: Get your topic approved
In most institutions, a research proposal is required to be submitted before your topic is approved. Hence, it would help if you discussed your ideas with your instructor before you proceed to write your research proposal. However, do not forget to change your topic if it is not as broad as you thought it would be to avoid getting stuck while writing.