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STRATEGIES FOR FINDING AND SELECTING AN IDEAL THESIS OR DISSERTATION TOPIC: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Published in: College Student Journal, Dec2009 Part B,SPORTDiscus with Full Text

Introduction

Choosing an ideal master's thesis or doctoral dissertation topic is probably one of the most

important decisions students will make while in graduate school. Some graduate students

may spend a year or even longer looking for potential topics before finally selecting one for

their thesis or dissertation. There are a number of successful strategies to find such a topic

regardless of students' academic discipline. Finding a research topic involves looking at

various types of literature, while selecting a research topic involves identifying the most

critical factors and weighing their importance against the large quantity of choices available.

The purpose of this study was to briefly describe the process of finding and choosing an ideal

thesis or dissertation research topic using previously published literature. With the full

approval and support of faculty advisors, the final topic selection should closely match the

personal, academic, and career goals of graduate students.

A graduate school can provide students with an opportunity to pursue their interest in a

particular field of study, and can develop knowledge and skills for their future career (Poock

and Love, 2001 ). One of the most critical decisions that graduate students are facing is to

decide which master's thesis or doctoral dissertation research topic they will select, and

present the best fit for them both academically and personally. Many graduate students

nationwide view the research topic selection (decision-making) process to be quite stressful

and time-consuming (Poock and Love, 2001).

There are many ways to find and choose a research topic that may be right for students;

there are many critical sources and factors to consider before making the final decision.

Graduate students with different academic backgrounds need to think about which ones

matter most to them and tailor their investigation accordingly. Regardless of their academic

backgrounds, all students should initially make a list of variables that factor into selecting a

research topic, and then decide how important each variable is to them (Olson and King,

1995). The final research topic selection is a personal one, and the reasons to select vary

widely from individual to individual (Olson and King, 1995). In general, the final decision

should be based on careful reflection and clarification of graduate students' personal,

academic, and career goals.

A thesis or dissertation is very formal, extensive, highly focused, and addresses a specific,

well-defined research problem or question. The decision-making process for selecting an

ideal thesis or dissertation topic is a complex one, involving critical sources and factors that

both students and their advisors are considering. This article reviews the process of finding

and choosing an ideal thesis or dissertation research topic. Specifically, this article addresses

1) successful strategies to find a thesis or dissertation topic, and 2) identify and briefly

describe critical factors that influence students' final topic selection during a graduate school

study.

Strategies to Find a Thesis or Dissertation Topic

Use Advisors, Professors and Scholars

Ideally, students should commence the process of finding and identifying potential research

topics during their first semester in graduate school (Table 1). There are two ways to find a

thesis or dissertation research topic — either the topic can be provided to students or

students find and choose by themselves, in consultation with their advisor (Peters, 1997).

Many students are afraid of finding and eventually selecting a topic completely on their own.

Students must find out what professors and scholars have commented on a topic, perhaps

this topic is exciting enough to capture their attention for further research in the next several

years (Choosing a Topic, 2009). Professors and scholars may cornment on areas that have not

been sufficiently studied in their own research or from other researchers, implying that

certain topics ought to be further investigated. This is often a signal that research on a given

topic is ripe for additional study (Choosing a Topic, 2009). In many academic fields, including

sciences, mathematics, and engineering, advisors may suggest a piece of their own research

for students' thesis or dissertation. If accepted, students are part of a research team because

projects are too large for individuals, expensive equipment is necessary, and technical

training is essential (Peters, 1997). In the humanities and social sciences, where research is

usually an individual effort, many students still end up performing thesis or dissertation

suggested by their advisors (Peters, 1997).

Read Primary and Secondary Literature

Students may visit the department and graduate libraries on campus to read theses and

dissertations of successful graduates (Table 1). While there, students should notice the topics,

overall length, structure of the thesis and dissertation, and names of professors serving on

the advisory committee (Peters, 1997). Students should also pay close attention to topics that

interest them, including the reference and literature review sections. The literature review

section may allow students to develop research ideas and designs, while the reference

section may allow students to develop their own bibliography once they have decided on a

topic. In addition to theses and dissertations, students may search for primary and secondary

literature. If selected literature is not available in students' campus libraries, they may

request an online interlibrary loan immediately. The waiting period for reference arrival

usually takes a few days. A library staff member will notify students by phone or through e-

mail once the references have arrived on campus

Students can also electronically access thesis and dissertation topics at other academic

institutions. Students should start familiarizing themselves with computer databases as soon

as they start graduate school (Peters, 1997). Many databases, such as ERIC, EBSCO, Academic

Search Premier, First Search, CSA Illumina, and PsycINFO with key terms and phrases, should

be free to students once they have paid their tuition and fees each semester. These

databases are Web-based libraries for accessing historical and current resources, including

books, journal articles, symposium articles, documents, theses, and dissertations (McMilllan,

2008). Many of these databases display abstracts of the articles, which is a quick and

enjoyable way to get a sense of the scope of a topic and an overview of previous research

(Peters, 1997).

Students should start reading through annual professional journals and conference

proceedings in their academic field for possible research topics. Future research directions

will appear in the final paragraphs of many journal and symposium articles. These journals

and conference proceedings tend to give students better research ideas than the theses and

dissertations for what is hot or the current trend in their respective field.

Students are also advised to search for appropriate secondary sources. Secondary sources

are seriously considered because they provide an overview of the topic, often citing relevant

research studies with important primary sources (McMillan, 2008). Some examples of

secondary sources include textbooks, scholarly books devoted to a particular topic, and

reviews of research in books or journals (McMillan, 2008). If students have decided on a topic

early in their graduate study, they may design the appropriate curriculum in order to prepare

them for conducting the thesis or dissertation research later on.

Curriculum

Moreover, students may also get research ideas from their curriculum. Curriculum may

include required and elective courses, seminars, special topics, graduate problems,

independent study, and research laboratory rotation (Table 1). Research laboratory rotation,

offered in some institutions, provides an opportunity for newly admitted graduate students

to experience the research of graduate faculty through one-on-one interactions. This course

provides graduate students the information they need to make informal choices about the

laboratory where they will eventually carryout their thesis and dissertation research (UNLV

Graduate Catalogue, 2009).

Students may examine previous and current semester class notes. Professors may have

pointed out potential research topics or commented on unsolved or unexplored issues in the

field.

Moreover, students should pay close attention to calls for papers (Choosing a Topic, 2009).

Sometimes graduate faculty will briefly announce the upcoming annual research conferences

during class time. Students should be aware of issues that conference committees ask

presenters to address, and these issues can often direct students to current and possible

future trends in the field. Students should notice and read annual research conference flyers

that are regularly displaying on department bulletin boards or through e-mail in order to

search for an ideal topic.

Types of Correspondence

Once students have identified a topic they are interested in, they may request additional

information by communicating with experts and researchers in the field through e-mail,

traditional mail, telephone, and/or fax transmission (Table 1). Collectively, these methods can

save students a tremendous amount of time for library and Internet research. E-mail can be a

valuable tool in rapidly locating research. The speed and ease of e-mail communication

allows students to find resources and "talk" to experts (McMillan, 2008). Through e-mail,

researchers, librarians, or institutions are easily contacted in order for students to receive

proper guidance on a specific research topic or question (McMillan, 2008). Students may

simply type in the name of the college or university in any major search engine, go to the

Web page of the appropriate school or department, and peruse a list of faculty under the

hyperlink of faculty and staff directory, which usually includes e-mail addresses (McMillan,

2008).

Once students are speaking with or writing to a researcher, politely ask him or her that they

are graduate students and are expressing genuine interest in his or her research area

(Peters, 1997). At this time, students may request additional information regarding this

researcher's reprints, manuscripts in press, in submission, in preparation, and research

projects currently in progress. While communicating, the researcher may also direct students

to other experts with their recent research publications closely related to students' chosen

research topic.

Strategies for Choosing an Ideal Thesis or Dissertation Topic

A thesis or dissertation research paper must start by having a good topic containing several

important chapters. If students have not decided on a topic, certain important factors must

be considered that will assist them choosing an ideal topic. These factors may include faculty-

and student-related factors, nature of a topic, trend, duration of study, research funding, and

eventual audience if the research work is expected to be published (Table 2).

Faculty and Student Factors

If students accept a topic suggested by their faculty advisors, life can be easier because

students have their advisors' blessing and have saved a tremendous amount of time

searching for an ideal topic (Peters, 1997). Even if advisors assigned a topic to students,

students must still ensure that such a topic is familiar with and personally interesting to them

because they will be conducting research on this topic from one to several years. Students

must be intrinsically motivated because motivation increases research effort and energy, as

well as enhances cognitive processes and research productivity (Ormrod, 2008a and 2008b).

The research problem or question must be worthy of students' time. Choosing a topic that is

compelling enough to sustain further research is critical (Dissertation Topics, 2009). Research

experts would suggest students to select a topic on which they are familiar with (Table 2), or a

topic on which they have a keen interest and enough preparation time to become an expert

(Sherfield et al., 2005). This does not mean that students cannot write on a topic that is

completely new or unfamiliar to them. If students choose such a topic, their research

completion time will need to be extended (Sherfield et al., 2005). However, if students later

find out that this new topic is extremely difficult, useless, and uninteresting, they may dislike

the topic and research in general; it would be a complete waste of time for both students and

their advisors.

If students select a research topic on their own, they ought to closely align their work with

advisors' research (Table 2). The closer students' research is to their advisors' specialty area,

the more likely their advice is to be helpful to students. In general, students who nestled

under their advisors' wing finished early, compared to independent students (Peters, 1997).

Nature of a Topic

Choosing a thesis or dissertation research topic should also consider the availability of

reference materials (depth of existing information; Table 2). This implies that students must

initially check whether they can find sufficient information and closely related topics that will

support students' research goals (Dissertation Research, 2009). In order to come up with

something unique or original, students need to know what has been investigated previously,

and then identify the gaps in knowledge in their respective field. Once students know how

these gaps can be properly filled, they will be able to come up with a final topic (Dissertation

Research, 2009). Along the way, students should take appropriate coursework and write class

research papers that may eventually be important components of their thesis or dissertation.

In every academic field, there are certain topics that are highly controversial. Students should

avoid such a topic that is full of theoretical or political controversy, although it may be good

to focus on a new, rapidly expanding area (Peters, 1997). As new graduate students, their

research work will be under review by other people. They are likely to have a difficult time

getting their research work published and accepted without stumbling into the midst of

intellectual warfare (Peters, 1997).

However, if students do choose a controversial topic, they must think carefully about the

realistic chances of passing the institutional review board (IRB) dealing with human and

animal subject research, and whether it may severely limit their future employment,

academic tenure promotion, and book, journal, or conference proceeding publishing

opportunities.

Trend

Although it is extremely difficult to predict far ahead, students may pay close attention to

future research directions of a chosen topic (Table 2), which are shown on the final paragraph

of some journal and symposium articles. By reading these articles and communicate with

advisors and other professors, students should be able to sense or visualize the general

direction of their respective topic (Peters, 1997). If students have selected a topic that is hot

(popular) and on the rise, they are likely to have more success being hired upon completion

of thesis or dissertation research than topics that are full of theoretical or political

controversies (Peters, 1997).

In terms of springboard for future research, students' research work will likely to influence

their life long after they have received an advanced degree, particularly in a doctoral

program. If students are hired as an assistant professor, their research work for several years

after graduation will likely be an extension of their dissertation research. Since the

dissertation research is so important, it is not surprising that many students find choosing a

topic the most excruciating task in graduate school (Peters, 1997).

Duration of Study

In terms of solvability and manageability of a research problem or question (Table 2),

graduate students in the humanities have a major advantage over graduate students in the

science and engineering fields — it is rare for their research to fail completely due to IRB

review, experimental treatment, and data (statistical) analysis issues (Peters, 1997). For this

reason, students need to consult with their advisors for research subject cooperation

(accessibility and availability), experimental design, and statistical analysis before firmly

committing to a particular topic for research (Peters, 1997).

In terms of tractability of research subjects, students should make certain that their research

subject group would remain available throughout the course of study (Peters, 1997). For

instance, students in the field of biological sciences must be certain that their organisms are

easily to obtain and will stay alive during the course of study (Peters, 1997). There is a good

reason why biology graduate students use white rates and fruit flies: these two species are

affordable, easily to purchase in abundance, feed, and breed them (Peters, 1997). Meanwhile,

students in humanities and social sciences must ensure that research subjects will remain

accessible and available over the years for a longitudinal study. Otherwise, the research

subject pool will become substantially smaller with a high attrition rate over time.

A research timeline will further assist students in selecting a topic (Table 2). Some research

projects may be completed in one year, while others may take several years. Students should

select a topic that will be managed and resolved within the pre-determined deadline. Both

manageability of a research topic and tractability of research subjects will partially determine

the duration of study while in graduate school. Some students have a major misconception

indicating that they must learn every aspect of their specialty area before graduation. In fact,

learning is life-long, and students will continue to learn new knowledge and skills long after

graduation. Thus, students need to establish a reasonable timeline for research project

completion.

Research Funding

When investigating potential research topics, students should also consider which ones are

definitely fundable (Table 2). If students' research is closely linked to their advisors, students

may be provided funding for equipment, travel, and other research-related expenses from

their advisors' grants (Peters, 1997). It would be beneficial if students are working on their

thesis or dissertation and receive financial compensation simultaneously. Yet, every research

project has a deadline, and students need to find out when is the termination date of funding

and to find out if there is a strong possibility of funding extension when project is not

completed from the expected original deadline. For this reason, it is easier to obtain funding

for ongoing research projects proposed by advisor than for completely new unfunded topics

proposed by beginning graduate students.

Eventual Audience

When reviewing the literature, students should determine if their completed research project

is publishable (Table 2) by fitting well into an existing journal. Students should place

themselves in the desk of a journal reviewer or editor and assess, with minimum doubt,

whether or not their thesis or dissertation would enhance the integrity of a reputable journal

(Peters, 1997).

Obviously, research topics selected by students must be important to them. Yet, results of

thesis or dissertation study must also be new and significant enough to add to their field of

interest (Table 2). Students' topic should offer additional insight into an existing problem, and

offer an opportunity to demonstrate their level of expertise and quality of scholarship

(Choosing a Dissertation Topic, 2009). This is one way to increase readers' interest and

appreciation of students' research work if it is published.

Implications

The process for finding and selecting an ideal thesis or dissertation research topic is a

complex one, involving critical sources and factors that both graduate students and their

advisors are considering. If students do not know enough about a research topic to evaluate

it, they need to find out before fully committing themselves from one to several years of

research on a single topic. Once students have narrowed down to a few potential research

topics with advisors, they may communicate with other professors and graduate students,

along with outside researchers or experts identified from preliminary research (Peters, 1997).

From there, students may further draw in researchers and experts outside their own

institution by writing, calling, or visiting them to ask advise about the eventual chosen

research topic (Peters, 1997). With the faculty advisors' full approval and support, the final

research topic selection should closely match the personal, academic, and career goals of

doctoral students. Once the topic selection has been firmly made, students are ready to

progress to the next major step, which is writing their thesis or dissertation research

proposal.

Table 1. Sources for finding an ideal thesis or dissertation research topic

Source Faculty, professors and scholars Advisor Department professors Professors or

scholars from other institutions Primary and secondary literature Journal articles Symposium

articles Conference proceedings Textbooks Scholarly books Government documents Private

industry documents Curriculum Coursework Seminars Special topics Graduate problems

Independent study Research laboratory rotation Types of Correspondence E-mail search

Traditional mail Telephone Fax transmission

Table 2. Factors influencing the final topic selection of graduate students

Factor Faculty Advisory committee's approval Advisory committee's support Closeness of

topic to advisor's research Ongoing research projects Student factor Familiarity of a topic

Personal interest Nature of a topic Uniqueness Depth of existing research Theoretical or

political controversy Trend Hot topic (current and future trends) Springboard for future

research Duration of study Solvable and Manageable research problem or question

Tractability of research subjects Research timeline Research funding Availability of research

funding Amount of funding Duration of funding with a possibility of extension Eventual

audience Publishable research topic Significance of a topic Readers' interest of a topic

Readers' appreciation of a topic

References

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Dissertation Research. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from http://www.madissertations.com/blog/

general/dissertation-research.html

Dissertation Topics. Retrieved May30, 2009, from http://www.tadafinallyfinished.com/dissertatio n-

topics.html

McMillan, J.H. (2008). Educational research: Fundamentals for the consumer. Boston,

Massachusetts: Pearson/Ally and Bacon.

Olson, C., and King, M.A. (1985). A preliminary analysis of the decision process of graduate

students in college choice. College and University, 60(4), 304-315.

Ormrod, J.E. (2008a). Education psychology: Developing learners (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New

Jersey: Pearson/Merrill.

Ormrod, J.E. (2008b). Human learning (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice

Hall.

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Poock, M.C., & Love, P.G. (2001). Factors influencing the program choice of doctoral students in

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By Simon A. Lei, Department of Educational Psychology University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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