choosing a topic for a research paper

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How To Choose A Research Topic

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | April 2024

Overview: The “Big 5” Key Criteria

• Topic originality or novelty
• Value and significance
• Access to data and equipment
• Time limitations and implications
• Ethical requirements and constraints

Criterion #1: Originality & Novelty

As we’ve discussed extensively on this blog, originality in a research topic is essential. In other words, you need a clear research gap . The uniqueness of your topic determines its contribution to the field and its potential to stand out in the academic community. So, for each of your prospective topics, ask yourself the following questions:

• What research gap and research problem am I filling?
• Does my topic offer new insights?
• Am I combining existing ideas in a unique way?
• Am I taking a unique methodological approach?

To objectively evaluate the originality of each of your topic candidates, rate them on these aspects. This process will not only help in choosing a topic that stands out, but also one that can capture the interest of your audience and possibly contribute significantly to the field of study – which brings us to our next criterion.

Criterion #2: Value & Significance

Next, you’ll need to assess the value and significance of each prospective topic. To do this, you’ll need to ask some hard questions.

• Why is it important to explore these research questions?
• Who stands to benefit from this study?
• How will they benefit, specifically?

By clearly understanding and outlining the significance of each potential topic, you’ll not only be justifying your final choice – you’ll essentially be laying the groundwork for a persuasive research proposal , which is equally important.

Criterion #3: Access to Data & Equipment

Naturally, access to relevant data and equipment is crucial for the success of your research project. So, for each of your prospective topic ideas, you’ll need to evaluate whether you have the necessary resources to collect data and conduct your study.

Here are some questions to ask for each potential topic:

• Will I be able to access the sample of interest (e.g., people, animals, etc.)?
• Do I have (or can I get) access to the required equipment, at the time that I need it?
• Are there costs associated with any of this? If so, what are they?

Keep in mind that getting access to certain types of data may also require special permissions and legalities, especially if your topic involves vulnerable groups (patients, youths, etc.). You may also need to adhere to specific data protection laws, depending on the country. So, be sure to evaluate these aspects thoroughly for each topic. Overlooking any of these can lead to significant complications down the line.

Criterion #4: Time Requirements & Implications

Naturally, having a realistic timeline for each potential research idea is crucial. So, consider the scope of each potential topic and estimate how long each phase of the research will take — from literature review to data collection and analysis, to writing and revisions. Underestimating the time needed for a research project is extremely common , so it’s important to include buffer time for unforeseen delays.

Remember, efficient time management is not just about the duration but also about the timing . For example, if your research involves fieldwork, there may specific times of the year when this is most doable (or not doable at all).  So, be sure to consider both time and timing for each of your prospective topics.

Criterion #5: Ethical Compliance

Failing to adhere to your university’s research ethics policy is a surefire way to get your proposal rejected . So, you’ll need to evaluate each topic for potential ethical issues, especially if your research involves human subjects, sensitive data, or has any potential environmental impact.

Remember that ethical compliance is not just a formality – it’s a responsibility to ensure the integrity and social responsibility of your research. Topics that pose significant ethical challenges are typically the first to be rejected, so you need to take this seriously. It’s also useful to keep in mind that some topics are more “ethically sensitive” than others , which usually means that they’ll require multiple levels of approval. Ideally, you want to avoid this additional admin, so mark down any prospective topics that fall into an ethical “grey zone”.

If you’re unsure about the details of your university’s ethics policy, ask for a copy or speak directly to your course coordinator. Don’t make any assumptions when it comes to research ethics!

Key Takeaways

In this post, we’ve explored how to choose a research topic using a systematic approach. To recap, the “Big 5” assessment criteria include:

• Topic originality and novelty
• Time requirements
• Ethical compliance

Be sure to grab a copy of our free research topic evaluator sheet here to fast-track your topic selection process. If you need hands-on help finding and refining a high-quality research topic for your dissertation or thesis, you can also check out our private coaching service .

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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.
• << Previous: Overview
• Next: Step 2. Get background information >>
• Last Updated: Dec 16, 2024 3:59 PM
• URL: https://libguides.depaul.edu/research101

Organizing Academic Research Papers: 1. Choosing a Topic

• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Executive Summary
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tertiary Sources
• What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Annotated Bibliography
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• How to Manage Group Projects
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Essays
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Acknowledgements

A topic is the main organizing principle guiding the analysis of your research paper. Topics offer us an occasion for writing and a focus that governs what we want to say. Topics represent the core subject matter of scholarly communication, and the means by which we arrive at other topics of conversations and discover new knowledge.

Choosing a Topic / How to Begin

Do not expect choosing the topic to be a quick or easy task! You should be thinking about it right from the start of the course. There are generally three ways you are asked to write about a research problem :

• your professor provides you with a general topic from which you study a particular aspect of;
• your professor provides you with a list of possible topics; or
• your professor leaves it up to you to choose a topic and you only have to obtain his/her permission to write about it before beginning your investigation.

Here are some strategies for getting started for each scenario.

I.  How To Begin:  You are given the topic to write about Step 1 : Identify concepts and terms that make up the topic statement . For example, your professor wants the class to focus on the following research problem: “Is the European Union as a whole becoming a credible security actor with the ability to contribute to global security?” The main concepts are: European Union, global security, credibility [ hint : focus on identifying proper nouns, nouns or noun phrases, and action verbs in the assignment description]. Step 2 : Review related literature to help refine how you will approach focusing on the topic and finding a way to analyze it . You can begin by doing any or all of the following: reading through background information from materials listed in your course syllabus; searching the SHU library catalog to find a recent introductory book and, if appropriate, more specialized works about the topic; conducting a preliminary review of the research literature using multidisciplinary library databases such as EBSCOhost's Academic Search Premier  or subject-specific databases found here . Use the main concept terms you developed in Step 1 to retrieve relevant articles. This will help you refine and frame the research problem. Don’t be surprised if you need to do this several times before you finalize how to approach writing about the topic. NOTE :  Always review the references cited by the authors in footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography to help locate additional research on the topic. However, if you’re having trouble at this point locating related research literature, ask a librarian for help! Step 3 : Since social science research papers are generally designed to get you to develop your own ideas and arguments, look for sources that can help broaden, modify, or strengthen your initial thoughts and arguments [for example, if you decide to argue that the European Union is ill prepared to take on responsibilities for broader global security because of the debt crisis in many EU countries, then focus on identifying sources that support as well as refute this position].

There are least four appropriate roles your related literature plays in helping you formulate how to begin your analysis :

• Sources of criticism -- frequently, you'll find yourself reading materials that are relevant to your chosen topic, but you disagree with the author's position. Therefore, one way that you can use a source is to describe the counter-argument, provide evidence from your review of the literature as to why it is unsatisfactory, and discuss how your own view is more appropriate based upon your interpretation of the evidence.
• Sources of new ideas -- while a general goal in writing college research papers is to approach a research problem with some basic idea of what position you'd like to take and what grounds you'd like to stand upon, it is certainly acceptable [and often encouraged] to read the literature and extend, modify, and refine your own position in light of the ideas proposed by others. Just make sure that you cite the sources !
• Sources for historical context -- another role your related literature plays in helping you formulate how to begin your analysis is to place issues and events in proper historical context. This can help to demonstrate familiarity with developments in relevant scholarship about your topic, provide a means of comparing historical versus contemporary issues and events, and identifying key people, places, and things that had an important role related to the research problem.
• Sources of interdisciplinary insight -- an advantage of using databases like EBSCOhost's  Academic Search Premier  to begin exploring your topic is that it covers publications from a variety of different disciplines. Another way to formulate how to study the topic is to look at it from different disciplinary perspectives. If the topic concerns immigration reform, ask yourself, for example, how do studies from sociological journals found by searching Proquest vary in their analysis from those in law journals. Another role of related literature is to provide a means of approaching a topic from multiple perspectives rather than the perspective offered from just one discipline.

NOTE : Remember to keep careful notes at every stage. You may think you'll remember what you have searched and where you found things, but it’s easy to forget.

Step 4 : Assuming you've done an effective job of synthesizing and thinking about the results of our initial search for related literature, you're ready to prepare a detailed outline for your paper that lays the foundation for a more in-depth and focused review of relevant research literature [after consulting with a librarian, if needed!].

II.  How To Begin:  You are provided a list of possible topics to choose from Step 1 : I know what you’re thinking--which topic from this list is the easiest to find the most information on? An effective instructor should never include a topic that is so obscure or complex that no research is available to review and from which to begin to design a study. Instead of searching for the path of least resistance, begin by choosing a topic that you find interesting in some way, or that is controversial and you have a strong opinion about, or that has some personal meaning for you. You're going to be working on your topic for quite some time, so choose one that's interesting or that makes you want to take a position on. Once you’ve settled on a topic of interest from the list, follow Steps 1 - 4 listed above to further develop it into a research paper .

NOTE : It’s ok to review related literature to help refine how you will approach analyzing a topic, and then discover that the topic isn’t all that interesting after all. In that case, you can choose another from the list. Just don’t wait too long to make a switch and be sure to consult with your professor first.

III.  How To Begin:  Your professor leaves it up to you to choose a topic Step 1 : Under this scenario, the key process is turning an idea or general thought into a topic that can be cast as a research problem. When given an assignment where you choose the research topic, don't begin by thinking about what to write about, but rather, ask yourself the question, "What do I want to know?" Treat an open-ended assignment as an opportunity to learn about something that's new or exciting to you.

Step 2 : If you lack ideas, or wish to gain focus, try some or all of the following strategies:

• Review your course readings, particularly the suggested readings, for topic ideas. Don't just review what you've already read but jump ahead in the syllabus to readings that have not been covered yet.
• Search the SHU library catalog for a good, recent introductory book and, if appropriate, more specialized works related to the discipline  area of the course.
• Browse through some current journals in your subject discipline. Even if most of the articles are not relevant, you can skim through the contents quickly. You only need one to be the spark that begins the process of wanting to learn more about a topic. Consult a librarian or your professor about the core journals within your subject discipline.
• Think about essays you have written for past classes and other coursework you have taken or academic lectures and programs you have attended. Thinking back, what most interested you? What would you like to know more about?
• Search online media sources, such as CNN , the Los Angeles Times , Huffington Post , or Newsweek , to see if your idea has been covered in the news. Use this coverage to refine your idea into something that you'd like to investigate further but in a more deliberate, scholarly way based on a problem to research.

Step 3 : To build upon your initial idea, use the suggestions under this tab to help narrow, broaden, or increase the timeliness of your idea so you can write it out as a research problem.

Once you are comfortable with having turned your idea into a topic, follow Steps 1 - 4 listed in Part I above to further develop it into a research paper .

Answering the Question. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Brainstorming. Department of English Writing Guide. George Mason University; Brainstorming . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Choosing a Topic . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University;  Coming Up With Your Topic . Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; How To Write a Thesis Statement . Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Identify Your Question . Start Your Research. University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz; The Process of Writing a Research Paper . Department of History. Trent University; Trochim, William M.K. Problem Formulation . Research Methods Knowledge Base. 2006.

Resources for Identifying a Topic

If you are having difficulty identifying a topic to study or need basic background information, the following web resources and databases can be useful:

• Global Issues in Context - Offers international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events, with rich multimedia - including podcasts, video, and interactive graphs.
• New York Times Topics -- each topic page collects news, reference and archival information, photos, graphics, audio and video files published on a variety of topics. Content is available without charge on articles going back to 1981.
• Social Science Research Network -- a service providing scholarly research papers, working papers, and journals in numerous social science disciplines.

Writing Tip

Don't be a Martyr!

In thinking about a research topic to study, don't adopt the mindset of pursuing an esoteric or incredibly complicated topic just to impress your professor but that, in reality, does not have any real interest to you. As best as you can, choose a topic that has at least some interest to you. Obviously, this is easier for courses within your major, but even for those nasty prerequisit classes that you must take in order to graduate [and that provide an additional revenue stream to the University], try to apply issues from your major to the general topic given to you. For example, if you are an IR major taking a philosophy class where the assignment asks you to apply the question of "what is truth" to some aspect of life, you could choose to study how government leaders attempt to shape truth through the use of propaganda.

Another Writing Tip

Not Finding Anything on Your Topic? Ask a Librarian!

Librarians are experts in locating information and providing strategies for analyzing existing knowledge in new ways. Do not immediately assume that your topic is too narrow because you haven’t found any information about it. Always consult a librarian before you consider giving up on finding information about the topic you want to investigate. If there isn't a lot of information about your topic, a librarian can often help you identify a closely related topic you can study.

• << Previous: Glossary of Research Terms
• Next: Narrowing a Topic Idea >>
• Last Updated: Jul 18, 2023 11:58 AM
• URL: https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803
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