A student is required to conduct a research project on his own before graduating. The first step of the lengthy research journey is to develop reliable good research topics for the research project. Some instructors may provide suggestions on research topic ideas to explore but most of them leave that responsibility entirely to the students. The ability to choose suitable research topics is an important skill to have for any student. It makes a big difference between complete failure and writing a good paper, as well as ensures the research process runs smoothly. The process of selecting research topics can be easy, quick, and even fun if you know a few crucial steps. On this page, we provide some tips on how to find perfect research topics.
General Guidelines to Follow in Creating Good Research Topics
1. The topic must be researchable and must have 2 or more variables; at least, a dependent and an independent variable.
2. The topic must be very sound and clear in meaning and should be between 11-15 words. However, some schools provide specific requirements on what to include in the title and the minimum/ maximum words that you should have. Check below an example from Chamberlain College of Nursing;
“The title should inform the reader of your population and intervention, be no more than 12 words, and contain fully spelled out words, no abbreviations”
Please check with your instructor if you are not sure of the school’s requirements.
3. Avoid questions in the topic; there will be a section for research questions.
4. Ensure that you are not very specific on how you start your topics, such as the use of “The role of….” “The significance of…” “The impacts of”… Using such entry statements makes a topic very specific and may actually work but normally require better structuring of the topic to avoid being very specific. Try as much to avoid them.
5. Ensure that you are not very general. Topics should give the research scope a direction.
6. Your topic should be a neutral statement, not an explanation. There is an entire section for a background and thesis statement.
7. The topic should be accompanied by a brief explanation of what the study will seek to achieve or the thesis statement.
Credible Sources of Research Ideas
You can develop research topics from the following three categories.
- Research Topics Based on Personal or Professional Experience
Individuals make observations in their daily life activities, which are rich sources of research topics. Some observations can raise curiosity or questions that may need answering. For instance, the Black Live Matter movement has heightened activities in the US and across the world following the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. One may be interested in examining the role of social movement in advocating the rights of black people. A possible topic and thesis statement would be;
Topic: Effectiveness of Social Movements on Upholding Human Rights: A Case Study of Black Lives Matter
Thesis Statement: Human rights are not always assured for minority groups due to underlying social and economic forces, which might contribute to their suppression and hinder their development. The study will examine the impact of social movements in advocating for human rights of minority groups and prove whether they are instrumental in promoting the respect to human rights.
- Research Topics Formulated from Extant Literature
Previous studies provide a better ground to formulate research ideas. One can identify gaps in knowledge by reading review and journal articles. You can check out recommendations for further research at the end of the papers in recent studies published within 1-3 years. Most probably, these areas recommended for further research have not yet been explored.
- Research Topics Based on Theory
These are topics set to examine assumptions about the causes of behavior and rules which specify those causes. By use of theories, you can develop a research topic that will allow you to predict the expected behavior of certain variables or when two theories account for one initial observation.
Some Common Ways to Limit the Scope of a Topic
You can focus and narrow your research topic; geographical area, population group, discipline, or time frame. In the following examples, we have focused research questions on the environment using different aspects. You can use the illustrations as a guide when narrowing your research topic and make it manageable.
- By geographical area– Example: What environmental issues are most important in the Southwestern United States?
- By population group– Example: What are the effects of air pollution on senior citizens?
- By discipline– Example: How does environmental awareness effect business practices today?
- By time frame– Example: What are the most prominent environmental issues over the last 10 years?
- By culture– Example: How does the environment fit into the Apache world view?