Chapter 3

Formulating and Clarifying

Research Topic

1
Research Topics
• The most successful research topics are narrowly focused and carefully defined, but
are important part of broad-ranging, complex-problem.

• Finding the ideal research problem does not mean simply selecting a topic from
possibilities presented by your adviser or having such a topic assigned to you,
attractive as this may first appear.

• You must go through the process of discovering and then developing a topic with all
the initial anxiety and uncertainty such a choice entails. This is how you develop your
capacity for independent thought.

• Some of them have to do with your particular interests, capabilities, and motivations.

• Other centers on area that will be of greatest interest to both the academic and
private sectors.

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Doing the right research
• It is really important to do the right research as well as to do the
research right. You need to do ‘wow’ research, research that is
compelling, not just interesting.

• Identifying the right research area, and the right research topic.

• The right topic will be interesting to you, complex, and compelling.

• The research you do as a graduate student will set the stage for your
research as a post doc and as a professor.

• Choosing the right topic as a graduate student will help you insure that
your research will be viable in the future.

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Attributes of a good research topic
Capability: is it feasible?
– Are you fascinated by the topic?
– Do you have the necessary research skills?
– Can you complete the project in the time available?
– Will the research still be current when you finish?
– Do you have sufficient financial and other resources?
– Will you be able to gain access to data?

Appropriateness: is it worthwhile?
– Will the examining institute's standards be met?
– Does the topic contain issues with clear links to theory?
– Are the research questions and objectives clearly stated?
– Will the proposed research provide fresh insights into the topic?
– Are the findings likely to be symmetrical?
– Does the research topic match your career goals?

And - (if relevant)

– Does the topic relate clearly to an idea you were given possibly by your institution ?
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Formulating and clarifying your research topic

 The important steps:

– Identifying the attributes of a good research topic
– Generating ideas that help you select a suitable topic
– Turning ideas into clear research questions and objectives
– Writing your research proposal

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 Generating research ideas
Useful Techniques:
– Rational thinking
– Creative thinking
– Searching the literature
– Scanning the media
– Brainstorming
– Relevance Trees
– Exploring past projects
– Discussion
– Keeping an ideas notebook

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 Rational thinking
• Examining your own strengths and interests
• Looking at past project titles
• Discussion
• Searching the literature
• Scanning the media

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Creative thinking
• Keeping a notebook of ideas
• Exploring personal preferences using past projects
• Relevance trees
• Brainstorming

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Rational thinking and creative thinking
• These techniques will generate possible project one of two
outcomes:
– One or more possible project ideas that you might undertake;
– Absolute panic because nothing in which you are interested
or which seems suitable has come to mind.

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Examining own strengths and interests
• Having some academic knowledge
• Look at those assignments for which you have received good
grade.
• You may, as part of your reading, be able to focus more
precisely on the sort of ideas about which you wish to conduct
your research
• There is a need to think about your future

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Looking at past project title
• Dissertations;
• Thesis.
– Scan your university’s list of past project titles for anything that
captures your imagination

• Scanning actual research projects.

– You need to beware. The fact that a project is in your library is
no guarantee of the quality of the arguments and
observations it contains.

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Discussion
• Colleagues, friends, university tutors, practitioner and
professional groups

• Keeping up to date with items in the news

can be a very rich source of ideas

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Searching the literature
• As part of your discussions, relevant literature may also
be suggested. Sharp et al, (2002) discuss types of
literature that are of particular use for generating
research ideas. These include:
– Article in academic and professional journals;
– Reports;
– Books.

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 Keeping a notebook of ideas
• One of the more creative techniques that we all use is to keep a
notebook of ideas.
• All this involves is simply noting down any interesting research
ideas as you think of them and, of equal importance, what
sparked off your thought.
• You can then pursue the idea using more rational thinking
technique later.

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 Relevance tree
• You start with a broad concept from which you generate
further (usually more specific) topics.

• Each of these topics forms a separate branch from which

you can generate further, more detailed sub branches.

• As you proceed down the sub branches more ideas are

generated and recorded.

• These can then be examined and a number selected and

combined to provide a research idea

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Brainstorming
• Define your problem – that is, the sorts of ideas you are interested in – as
precisely as possible.

• Ask for suggestions, relating to the problem

• Record all suggestions, observing the following rules:

– No suggestion should be criticized or evaluated in any way before all
ideas have been considered;
– All suggestions, however wild, should be recorded and considered
– As many suggestions as possible should be recorded.

• Review all the suggestions and explore what is meant by each.

• Analyze the list of suggestions and decide which appeal you most as research
ideas why.

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 Refining research ideas
• Using the Delphi Technique
• Conducting a preliminary study
• Continually testing out your ideas
• Integrating ideas
• Refining topics given to you by your organisation

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Points to consider in finding a research topic (1)
1. Can it be enthusiastically pursued?

2. Can interest be sustained by it?

3. Is the problem solvable?

4. Is it worth doing?

5. Will it lead to other research problems?

6. Is it manageable in size?

7. What is the potential for making an original contribution to the literature in the field?

8. If the problem is solved, will the results be reviewed well by scholars in your field?

9. Are you, or will you become, competent to solve it?

10. By solving it, will you have demonstrated independent skills in your discipline?

11. Will the necessary research prepare you in an area of demand or promise for the
future?
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Points to consider in finding a research topic (2)
• Clearly, it is important to pick the problem you are enthusiastic about (1), and one that
will interest you over the long haul (2).

• Much research is just that, re-search. At times it will be mundane, and it will surely be
frustrating.

• Experiments won’t go right; equipment will fail; data from other sources won’t arrive on
time (or at all); researchers who pledged their assistance won’t come through as
expected, while others will do work that competes with your research.

• During these times you’ll need courage and fortitude.

• Picking a problem that you can solve in a reasonable period of time (3), that will lead to
further research (5), and that is manageable in size (6) is a particular challenge for most
graduate students.

• Doctoral students tent to take on more than is necessary to achieve what ought to be
their goal: completing a dissertation or obtaining another publication or two.

• That’s why it is essential to have the right supervisor, as it’s his job to help you determine
how to make your dissertation original and publishable, yet also manageable.

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Points to consider in finding a research topic (3)
• Whether or not a problem is worth solving (4), will make an original contribution
to the literature in your field (7), and if solved, will have results that will garner
the attention of scholars in your discipline (8), is at the heart of what is meant
by choosing compelling topics leading to a meaningful “stream of ideas”.

• One way to tell if a subject is compelling is to note how many people attend
seminars or symposia on different research topics.

• In some cases, attendance may be up for big-name speakers, but often it is

because the work presented is of broad interest. These seminars can give you
clues to possible research directions and topics.

• Of course, going into an area where there are too many other researchers has
its drawbacks, but beware of going to the opposite extreme. You don't want to
be the only researcher in an area that has little chance of drawing interest or
support.

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Points to consider in finding a research topic (4)
• Your capacity to tackle the problem (9) will depend somewhat on your innate
abilities.

• However, to solve the problem you'll also need to develop basic knowledge
and technical understanding, computer skills, and experimental expertise.

• To acquire such skills you'll need direct access or Web access to courses and
seminars, library materials, independent-study opportunities, and most
importantly, other students, post docs, faculty members, and even industrial
scientists and engineers.

• To develop independent skills in your discipline (10), start by defining and

developing a problem that is sufficiently robust.

• You'll then need to acquire a fundamental understanding of certain

phenomena or behaviors and experimental techniques in order to solve the
problem.

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Points to consider in finding a research topic (5)
• It is important that your focus be on problems and not on techniques or
specialized tools. The latter come and go and as a researcher you want to be
able to shift your approaches as needed to solve the more fundamental
problems.

• Choosing a research area that will be in future demand (11) can be tricky.

• Some fields, such as semiconductor physics and fiber optics, may have been
compelling for some time, but are now approaching maturity and shifting
focus and are likely to be less promising in the future.

• Other areas, such as telecommunications and biotechnology, are quite

popular. However, their very popularity may have over-saturated the fields.

• In such cases, large numbers of investigators often compete for limited

financial and experimental resources.

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Turning Ideas Into Research Projects
Useful techniques
– Start with a general focus question
– Discuss areas of interest with your tutor

Writing clear research objectives

– Check your examining body’s preferences for stated objectives
– Use a general focus question to achieve precise objectives

Include SMART Personal objectives

Specific: What precisely do you hope to achieve from undertaking the research?
Measurable: What measures will you use to determine whether you have achieved your objectives?(Secured a career-
level first job in software design)
Achievable: Are the targets you have set for yourself achievable given all the possible constraints?
Realistic: Given all other demands upon your time, will you have the time and energy to complete the research on time?
Timely: Will you have time to accomplish all your objectives?

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