Selecting the topic

Ideas for topics come from myriad sources - some will be generated by interest in a particular area of previous work, others by discussing issues with peers and academics and some by reading the literature.  Initial ideas can also be in various stages of development - some will be vague, others clear and well defined and many will be in the middle of the two extremes.

Like a seed, most research ideas have an inherent potential for growth and development.

When thinking about a suitable topic it is important to consider the implications of your choice:

• can information be gathered locally?
• are you in a position to travel to use various sources?
• what are your interests and will this interest be maintained for the duration of the research?
• who will be interested in this research ?
• is it sufficiently interesting to keep you, the author, working for the next 2 – 3 – 4 years?
• is the scope wide enough to be able to ascertain a particular niche?
• is the scope so broad that it will lose direction?
• does it involve technology that is readily available?
• is training in technology and / or software readily available?


In the early stages it is probably wise to give all topics under consideration a title and write them down.  Include a brief description of the content of each idea and a plan of how each topic could be developed.  Writing sometimes helps define ideas and helps you to plot a course of action.  Although the topic may change or aspects of it may change, it is still useful to record thoughts.  It is also interesting to look back once the research has been completed and see how the topic evolved!

While thinking about research topics:

• discuss ideas with colleagues
• browse the literature, especially journals
• discuss ideas with your supervisor - he/she is an expert within the discipline and can help you decide on an appropriate topic.

Listen to some practicing researchers give hints on selection of topics (Click on the image to view):
 

Dr Peter Reaburn  Triathlon Research Initiative, Head of School School of Health & Human Performance	Dr Tony Ward, Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Strategic Management, School of Marketing and Tourism
Ms Leone Hinton  Teaching Scholar/Teaching and Learning Officer Educational Services and Learning Support	Mr Howard Walmsley Lecturer, School of Education Innovation, Faculty of Education & Creative Arts




---

Glossary

Previous Page

Start

Next Page

---

	http://www.library.cqu.edu.au/litreviewpages/select.htm
	Copyright & disclaimer © CQU Library 2000
	Contact: Debbie Orr d.orr@cqu.edu.au