selecting a research topic: a framework for doctoral students - phdassistance.com
DESCRIPTION
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest university degree in the academic domain all around the world. So apart from strong academic knowledge, it takes a lot of courage, determination and mental strength to complete the degree successfully. According to the UGC report, over 50,000 research scholars enroll for PhD degrees across India every year but only 1/3rd of them are successful crossing the final line. Research says that one of the important reasons for failure and dropout is poor dissertation topic selection. So, the scholar should select the research topic meticulously. Learn More: https://bit.ly/2CNX72W Contact Us: UK NO: +44-1143520021 India No: +91-8754446690 Email: [email protected]TRANSCRIPT
Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 1
Selecting a Research Topic: A Framework for Doctoral Students
Dr. Nancy Agens, Head,
Technical Operations, Phdassistance
Keywords: PhD Dissertation Topic
Selection , Dissertation topic selection
assistance, PhD Topic Consultation Service
, Dissertation Topic Help , Dissertation
Topic selection service, PhD Dissertation
Topics & Thesis Ideas , Choosing a PhD
Dissertation Topic, Dissertation topic
selection guidance ,Choosing a
Dissertation Topic , Doctoral Dissertation
Topic Selection, Dissertation Topic
Selection, Plagiarism correction.
I. INTRODUCTION
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the
highest university degree in the academic
domain all around the world. So apart from
strong academic knowledge, it takes a lot of
courage, determination and mental strength
to complete the degree successfully.
According to the UGC report, over 50,000
research scholars enroll for PhD degrees
across India every year but only 1/3rd of
them are successful crossing the final line.
Research says that one of the important
reasons for failure and dropout is poor
dissertation topic selection. So, the scholar
should select the research topic
meticulously.
The PhD Dissertation Topic Selection is
the basis of the entire research work. So it is
essential to select a good topic for the
dissertation. But to be honest, there is no
such thing as a good topic and a bad topic. It
is judged purely based on the availability of
previous research data, accessibility to the
source and scope of the research work. So,
this article clearly elaborates the structural
framework for Doctoral Dissertation
Topic Selection. The guidelines and tips
enclosed in this article will assist you in
choosing a Dissertation Topic for your PhD
research work efficiently.
Fig 1. How To Choose A Good Research Topic
II. DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START
This is the first hurdle for a PhD
Scholar and it is completely fine even if
you're facing the same situation. The only
possible way to find an answer to this
obstacle is by starting the process at some
point. Ofcourse, you will make mistakes and
face failures during the learning process but
I can assure you that this is way better than
sitting idle. Moreover, In the due course of
the learning process, the scholar gets a broad
perspective, clear idea and better
understanding about the subject. This will
eventually lead to the scholar to select a best
dissertation topic for his/her research work.
Yes, Choosing a PhD Dissertation
Topic is the first step of the research
process. As discussed, this step is quite
tedious and daunting for the research
scholars. So, it is necessary to have a
Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 2
focused mind, clear vision and strong plan to
be successful in their academic career. If the
scholar is working independently without a
mentor, scholars can utilize the PhD Topic
Consultation Service on the online for
guidance and feedback.
Fig 2. Research Process
III. FRAMEWORK TO SELECT A
RESEARCH TOPIC FOR DOCTORAL
STUDENT
1. Brainstorm research topics in your
field of interest
This is the first phase in selecting a research
topic for your research work. In this phase,
the research scholar brainstorms the general
research topics of genuine interest to
him/her. Generally, it takes 3 to 5 years to
complete a phd degree so it is advisable to
select a topic of scholar’s interest. It is really
unwise to select topics neither arbitrarily nor
the topics which you’re not genuinely
interested in. Furthermore, always remember
a good research bloom only from what the
scholar is interested in. This phase is more
oriented towards thinking, recalling,
understanding and finding your area of
interest. Here is a list of tips to dug out your
suitable research topic:
Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 3
2. Preliminary literature review:
Once the research scholar chooses a topic of
his/her interest, Preliminary Literature
Review is carried out to find the feasibility
of the selected PhD dissertation topics &
thesis ideas. This phase gives a clear-cut
idea and bigger picture about the selected
topic. In this phase, most of the scholars
tend to deviate away from the selected topic
and lose their track. So, it is advisable to do
this task carefully with a clear mind.
Moreover, the Selection of a research topic
is purely an iterative process where the
scholar should repeat the selection cycle for
a few times to find a proper research topic.
There are three factors to lookup in this
phase.
● Accessibility and availability of
sources:
These two factors play a vital role in
developing good research work. So it is
important for a scholar to check the
availability of sources for his/her research
work before starting the research process.
On the other hand, accessibility to the
available source has to be ensured to
proceed forward with the select topic. If you
feel that the collected information on the
selected topic is insufficient, it is better to
pick a new topic in the beginning stage
itself.
● Narrow down your topic:
If the research topic is too broad, the
scholar may find it difficult to complete the
task in the right time. So the scholar should
narrow down the topic and focus on a
specific area for his/her research work. The
scholar should also make sure that the
selected research topic is quantitative,
qualitative and manageable in the given
timespan.
● Figure out the problem
statements:
The scholar should figure out a problem
statement for the selected topic or the
existing gaps in the previous research works.
The problem statement decides the
weightage of the research dissertation work
so it is advisable to seek your mentor’s
guidance for finalizing the problem
statement. Once the scholar decides his/her
problem statement for the research work, the
scholar should subsequently work on
framing the research question for his/her
problem statement.
3. Develop your research questions:
This phase is purely created to formulate
research questions for the generated problem
statements in the previous phase. The
formulated research questions should be in
such a way that it demands straight and
specific answers. The scholar can also use
the online dissertation topic selection service
forums for Dissertation Topic Selection
Guidance, Dissertation Topic Help and
other services. Here is a list of guidelines to
followed while developing a research
question:
● Make sure that your question is valid
and answerable.
● Ensure that your question is clear,
simple and manageable.
● Ensure that your question is worth
answering.
● Make sure that your question
demands an answer about the
missing gaps of previous research
work.
● Devise a question in such a way that
it demands an answer addressing the
idea to overcome the listed problem
statement.
● Don't develop a hypothetical
question.
4. Formulate your theory for the problem
statement:
Formulating your ideas into a theory for the
problem statement is the next phase in the
Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 4
selection of the research topic. In this step,
the scholar should develop a theory which
addresses all the research questions devised
in the previous phase.
The PhD research problem statements are
usually big and complex. So, the scholar
cannot solve the problems unless he/she
approaches it strategically. Here is a list of
guidelines to be followed while approaching
a problem:
● Break down the problem
statement into smaller pieces
● Magnify and solve the smaller
problems
● Integrate the solved piece and
create a theory
While formulating the
theories, the scholar should ensure the
feasibility of the solution, novel nature and
the originality of it. To confirm the
originality of your idea, it is better to go for
Plagiarism correction. In this section, the
scholar should enclose the existing theories
and the validated new theory to address the
problem statement. It is necessary that the
formulated new theory is feasible, practical
and original to proceed further into the next
phase.
5. Consult with your mentor:
This is the final phase where the scholar
collectively presents the entire data about
the selected topic to his/her mentor. Before
Selecting a Topic, it is advisable to consult
with your mentor or a professor who is
experienced in your field of research.
Moreover, your mentor might exactly know
the advantages, disadvantages, feasibility
and other facts & information about the
selected topic which you’re unaware of. So,
it is highly recommendable to seek
dissertation topic selection assistance from
your mentor.
IV. CONCLUSION
As quoted by the famous American humorist
Mark Twain, “good decisions come from
experience. Experience comes from bad
decisions,” similarly a good topic can be
selected only out of experience and
continuous iteration. This article conclusive
illustrates the framework to select a research
topic for doctoral students. I hope that the
guidelines and tips attached in this article
would help you in Choosing a PhD
Dissertation Topic for your doctoral
research work.
REFERENCES
1. ER Services. (2020). Preliminary Research Strategies.
Retrieved July 25, 2020, from ER Services.
2. Fleming, G. (2018). Choosing a Strong Research
Topic Start smart with preliminary research.
3. Gillingham, K. (2020). How to Establish a Research
Topic. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from Wiki How.
4. Gust, J. (2019). How to Choose the Right Research
Topic in 5 Easy Steps. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from
College Kaptor.
5. Kelly, J. M. (2014). Flowchart: How To Find A
Research Topic.
6. MIT Libraries. (2020). Selecting a Research Topic:
Overview. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from MIT
Libraries website: https://libguides.mit.edu/select-
topic
7. ResearchArticles.com. (2019). Factors to Consider
when Choosing a research Topic.