How to identify a research topic or area for student research
At one extreme some students may be given a research topic as a condition of funding. At the other extreme, some students may have a completely free choice, within of course the limitations of the institution being able to supervise it. Other students lie somewhere between with, perhaps, the institution providing a list of topics from which students may choose. All students, though, irrespective of the category they fall into, will still have to do a certain amount of refinement of their topic to show their own engagement with it, demonstrated initially in their research proposal. This page is a starting point for you if you have some choice of topic or area.
This page should be helpful irrespective of whether your research is to be for a school project, an undergraduate dissertation, a masters degree or a doctoral degree.
The following sections are roughly in the order that you need to consider them, but your personal situation may mean that some are more relevant and urgent than others and some may need to keep being returned to. It may be too that you already have a supervisor* who wishes to be involved at an early stage in the choice of your topic, in which case the following sections are for guidance only.
If you already have a research topic, go straight on to the page about research questions and problems.
Decide on the general area of your research
The first step must be to decide in general terms what you want to do, ie your area of interest - or at least where to start (because the findings from the first part of the work may affect future directions).
Capitalise on your existing skills and interests
Try to capitalise on your skills and interests. For example, if you are particularly good with people, it may be worth orientating your choice of topic to involve, for example, interviewing or training in your general area. If you are never happier than when you are hiding away with a book, you may prefer a topic which compares and contrasts published works in a your area of interest; or if you enjoy laboratory or field work you may prefer a topic which relies on that sort of data collection. If you spend your hobby time on a particular activity, it may help to see if you can tie it in with a suitable research area.
As an illustration of capitalising on your skills and interest, suppose - to take an example which can be readily understood whatever your discipline - you are a scout or guide leader and your general area of research interest is the work of a particular author. You could orientate your research project to investigate young people's interests in that author and how these could be facilitated. You will be able to think of similar examples for your own skills, interests and field of research interest
Think about suitable supervisors
If you have a choice of supervisor(s) it should help to find out what you can about all of them. Most will be knowledgeable and helpful, but some may have so many outside commitments that they may not be able to give students the attention that they would like. Good relationships with supervisors are essential for success, so orientate your topic to one that a 'good' supervisor will want and be able to supervise.
Think about helping your career prospects
More information
Try to enhance your career prospects by orientating your topic towards something that could help with future employment or business interests.
Think about quality versus quantity
Do realise that depth, ie detail and significance, is more highly regarded than breadth in all student research projects. So keep your topic small, at least in the first instance, particularly as you will find that once you work on it, new questions will arise which could enable to you to take the work further.
For limiting the bounds of your topic, it is worth keeping in mind an axiom which carries a great deal of truth, even though it is facetious. Although well-known at the level of doctoral research, it is equally valid for research projects at other levels.
A PhD (or any research project) is about finding out more and more about less and less until you ultimately know everything about nothing.
As an illustration of limiting scope, suppose - to take another example which can be readily understood whatever your discipline - you decide to compare and contrast the works of particular artists. Limit them to, say, two, and limit their works to those which hang in local galleries rather than worldwide. You will be able to think of other examples more relevant to your own area of interest.
Think about the questions your research could answer
By now you probably have a number of possibilities in your mind, a shortlist if you like. For each one, work out a suitable problem or question(s) that you think your research should be able to solve or answer within the time and resources available. So you may want to read the page on research questions and problems now and then return to this page.
Think about the resources available to you
Resources are not just time, money and equipment although they are important. They also include access, particularly if your research is to involve setting up meetings or visits.
Think about ethical considerations
Ethical considerations will also important if your research is to involve living beings. Your supervisor will advise on the regulations of your institution
Make sure your topic suits your preferred ways of working
Finally imagine yourself actually doing each of the research projects on your eventual shortlist. Look at the various roles in which researchers and research students need to operate in. Then see if this helps you decide what topic is most likely to hold your interest and motivation.
Once you have homed in on your research topic or several possibile for your research project, you will want to discuss with your supervisor who will guide your further. Then you will need to write a research proposal. There is advice on another page. Do not be surprised, though, when, in developing the proposal, you find yourself refining your topic still further.
© Pat Cryer
* 'Supervisor' is a shorthand for 'research degree supervisor', 'advisor' or 'tutor', and applies to varying extents for all research degrees: PhD, DPhil. MPhil, Prof Doc and even undergraduate and masters' projects. In some countries, notably the USA, a 'supervisor' is known as an 'advisor'.