One of the most common questions students are faced with when it’s time to write a dissertation is how to pick the most suitable topic for the project. The process can be pretty frustrating. You must commit at least to something, but how can you know you’ve made the right decision? In this article we will have a little conversation on what makes a good dissertation paper topic and how you can select the most suitable one to avoid problems later.
What makes a good topic for the dissertation?
In you think a bit about the future, your examiners will expect you to provide a thorough research which is:
- Original.
- Provided in the context of the detailed existing research within the field.
- Professionally performed.
Once you decide to choose a thesis topic make sure to take into consideration the following criteria.
Originality
Of course it’s a pretty hard task to choose a brand-new idea. Almost every theory or new discovery is usually based in the ideas that already exist but applied to a new problem.
To astonish your examiners, make certain to focus on a specific outcome of the research that nobody has achieved before. Next – select a specific subject you’d like to investigate and that hasn’t been studied before in that particular niche. And finally, make sure to apply a new methodology. You can deal with the topic that has been widely investigated but you can conduct your research on the basis of your own methodology.
Context
You may have found a very interesting topic to work on, but, unfortunately, it’s not enough. Your task is to put it within the context in combination with the existing research. Thus you will make sure you’re a newbie in this segment. Of course, there is a possibility that someone else has already done before what you’re engaged now with. However, your results may turn to be far from what anyone else has discovered!
How to choose a thesis topic?
To cut the long story, there are some processes you have to face in order pick the right topic for your project:
- Generation of the topic idea.
- The process of testing.
- Editing and proofreading.
Generation of the topic idea
Rather than waiting for a bright idea to come, make sure to consider several. No need to choose the completely unique ones. Just start with one idea and then ponder over a couple of variations on its basis. Thus, you won’t face the pressure to pick the right topic in a flash and will be able to choose only one that will work magic!
Testing
This stage is an essential part of the whole process. Before you polish up your thesis topic, make sure to conduct a proper testing of all the ideas in your head for viability. Are you 100% sure that the paper is possible to write? What tools you are in need of to go about it? What is the simplest step you need to take in order to start the work and make sure if it’s possible?
Testing may be based upon several aspects:
- Performing mini-investigations.
- Checking whether you will get an instant access to people, equipment or info needed to cope with the task.
- Studying the relevant information resources and interviewing experts.
Editing and proofreading
It is OK to work with various ideas, but make sure to do a little editing in order to make them viable. Besides, you may discover new ideas when crossing out the ones that failed the testing.
Get good data
Find solid information regarding the topic. No matter how fresh or old your topic is, the success will be based on getting good data. Make sure to correct or erase poor quality data. It may take some time to shape up your project, but even diamonds require proper cut, right?
