Choosing a Research Topic

Research paper topics

The first and most crucial step while planning to conduct any research is to develop research paper topics. The research topic guides your research and should be answered by the results and findings. Selecting a good topic is the key to ensuring successful research and gives one an interesting time during the process. A research topic should be achievable within the given timeline and available tools, add on or address a gap in previous researches in a particular field of study, and should be something that interests you.  The topic should be broad enough to find adequate information but must be narrow and focused. Hence, it is important to possess the skills or ability to formulate a good research topic. Most instructors will require you to develop your own research topic with minimal or no support.  The process of developing a topic is crucial since you will have to deal with the selected issue or problem all the way in your research.

Important Steps in Selecting Good Research Paper Topics

The selection of a good topic may not be easy. You can use the following six steps to guide you in the process of developing a great research topic;

Step 1: Brainstorm for Topic Ideas

Generate topic ideas that interest you in your field of study. Consider an aspect of a class that you are interested in or a personal issue, problem or interest that you would like to know more about. You may ask your instructor for ideas if you feel you need additional assistance or stuck; an instructor can give a student a variety of topics in the field of study to study from. Other sources of topic ideas are research sites or topic-oriented websites. Note down the concepts or keywords that interest you.

Step 2: Conduct Background Research

After coming up with broad topic ideas, read general background information on the top two or three topics you are considering. Having solid background information about the topic ideas will enable you to come up with a viable topic and a great research paper.  A broad summary may also help in identifying keywords that may be useful in your research. Read general review or encyclopedia articles to gain an overview of the topic ideas and how they relate to related and narrow issues. Try using broader terms in your search if you cannot find articles on your topic ideas. Use Google, Bing, or Yahoo search engines to find relevant articles or websites on the topic. Encyclopedias such as the Encyclopedia Americana (Grolier Online)- available through Scholastic or the Encyclopedia Britannica (online version) also provide links to related articles or websites which are listed on the margins.

Step 3: Focus your Topic

It is very difficult to research on a topic if it is too broad or too narrow.  If the topic is too broad, you will be overwhelmed with information. On the other hand, information may not be available when the topic is too narrow. Thus, it is advisable to keep it manageable. You can narrow the topic by limiting the geographical area, population group, discipline, or time frame. You may discuss the topic with your instructor if you experience difficulties with focusing your topic. Check out some tips, guidelines, and examples on how to focus the scope of your topic.

Step 4: Be Flexible

You may find that the developed topic is a bit narrow and may need to broaden the focus or it is rather broad and may need to narrow the focus. This is a normal part of the research process and it is common to modify the topic. You may not necessarily wish to change the topic but you can find other interesting aspects of the topic which may wish to incorporate in your research. Consider the length of the research paper, the time available to complete the research, and the depth of coverage needed to decide how much to modify the topic. Refine your keywords as necessary to ensure they best describe your research topic. Conduct research using the gathered keywords and read more before selecting the final topic.

Step 5: Develop a Focused Research Question or Questions

Define the topic as focused research question that you will research on and give findings in your research paper. You may develop 1-4 research questions based on the developed topic.

Step 6: Formulate a Thesis Statement

Write a thesis statement in one or two sentences that precisely state the purpose of your research or what are you proving with the research study.

You may also check common mistakes that students make while formulating topics and how you may avoid them.

Need Help to Develop a Suitable Research Topic?

Reliable topics help

Students are expected to conduct research during the final year of their degree. Hence, you will be required to develop a research topic for your thesis, dissertation, or capstone project. It is pertinent to conduct the right research in the right way. While the instructor may advise on areas to research on, most of the supervisors expect students to develop their own research topics of interest and submit them for review and approval. This is where you may need the services of an expert to assist with formulating a manageable topic that incorporates all things that matters in a research study. If you need any help with formulating topics for your research paper, our experts are always ready to offer reliable help. We are among the very few topics help providers who have gained authority and stand out for high-quality, legitimacy, and easy accessibility of services. All this we attain through commitment and dedication to offer first-class help with creating research topics, which you can obtain anytime. Our writers will help you to choose the right area of research in your field of study and select a suitable topic for your research study. Kindly contact our team or chat with the customer support for professional help with creating a topic that you can easily research on. You get 3 or more topics, each with a thesis statement, in 12-48 hours. We also help with the entire research and writing process once the topic is approved by your instructor.

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