Lecture 7a: Choosing a Research Topic
Process of doing research
Select a research topic
Create a research design
Conduct a literature review
Collect data
Analyse data
Write up results
Research process is iterative (i.e. it turns back on itself), not linear
So you will revisit different stages of your research
For example:
Research questions/ objectives may need to be modified in light of literature review
Failure to gain access may require change to research topic
Choosing a topic
Your personal interests
Your skills and strengths
Your career goals
Time and financial resources
Access
Choosing a topic: generating research ideas
Examining your own strengths and weaknesses
Looking at past project titles
Discussion (with friends, tutors, other contacts)
Searching the literature (books, reports, articles etc.)
Topical sources (newspapers, magazines)
Keeping a notebook of ideas
Brainstorming
Examples of topics
In most other courses, you have been given questions which you then have to answer (either in assignments or exams)
For the research proposal and dissertation, you have to formulate the question(s) you are going to answer yourself – this is the challenge!
Care in defining your research question is essential for success
Evaluating your research questions
Your research questions should:
Be clear (plain and simple English)
Build on existing theory and research
Be linked to one another
Have potential for contributing to knowledge
Have a clear focus…
As in all work at Masters level, your dissertation needs to demonstrate both knowledge and understanding of the issues:
Depth of analysis
Narrow focus
(Lack of focus will result in broad and superficial study)
So what’s your focus?
Could you write it down in one sentence?
Could you describe it in less than a minute?
Or is it vague, or are there too many questions?
The formulation of suitable research question(s)
The selection of an area of literature to inform your study
The identification of a population and a sample for the study
The choice and justification of a set of qualitative research methods appropriate to the aim of the study
The development of a qualitative research instrument (e.g. questionnaire, interview schedule, case study or studies, observation points, focus group, experiment) appropriate to the research.