Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 1

Selecting a Research Topic: A Framework for Doctoral Students

Dr. Nancy Agens, Head,

Technical Operations, Phdassistance

info@phdassistance.com

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

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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:

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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

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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.