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SOCI2020 Research Skills: Issues in Choosing A Research Topic - Dissertation Candidate Students Talk

This document provides guidance to dissertation students on choosing a research topic. It discusses considering relevance to your field of study and career goals. It recommends choosing a topic that interests you to sustain motivation, and exploring loose ends or questions from your previous studies. If stuck for ideas, it suggests considering your skills or reviewing past dissertations' future research questions. The document stresses narrowing your focus and reviewing literature thoroughly. It advises framing clear research questions and maintaining an organized research notebook. Students should always consider ethics, feasibility, resources and own knowledge throughout the process.

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Ronald Almagro
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18 views

SOCI2020 Research Skills: Issues in Choosing A Research Topic - Dissertation Candidate Students Talk

This document provides guidance to dissertation students on choosing a research topic. It discusses considering relevance to your field of study and career goals. It recommends choosing a topic that interests you to sustain motivation, and exploring loose ends or questions from your previous studies. If stuck for ideas, it suggests considering your skills or reviewing past dissertations' future research questions. The document stresses narrowing your focus and reviewing literature thoroughly. It advises framing clear research questions and maintaining an organized research notebook. Students should always consider ethics, feasibility, resources and own knowledge throughout the process.

Uploaded by

Ronald Almagro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOCI2020 Research Skills

ISSUES IN CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC –


DISSERTATION CANDIDATE STUDENTS TALK

Dr. Michelle Cowley


Applied Social Sciences
University of Southampton
Overview

 Choosing a research topic


 What to do if you cannot think of an idea
 Narrowing the focus of your research topic
 Reviewing the literature
 Other issues to consider
 Framing your research question/aim
 Starting a research notebook

See Blaxter et al. (2010)


Choosing a research topic

 Relevance to your Social Science pathway


 Plan ahead: How will this research topic
be relevant to your career?
 How much choice do you have?
 Your motivation and interest
 What loose ends have you discovered in the reading
you have done over the past two years?
Plan ahead

 Think about where your career may be taking you


 What is the time-line of your research?
 Does your topic and working title allow you the time
you need EVEN WHEN there are unanticipated
setbacks?
How much choice do you have?

 Research in the ‘real world’… Plan well


 The only time in your life when it is all up to you
(given feasibility constraints) without pressure of
publication
 So be selfish and choose the most interesting topic
you can!
Motivation

 Your research should hold your interest even when


it is not going as smoothly as you had planned
 You should find yourself drawn to news reports
related to your project
 Deeper levels of processing and insight when you
are motivated.
Loose ends in the literature

 Key debates relevant to your degree and career


pathway
 Key thinkers and their critics
 A comparison of two alternative theories
 Room for methodological improvement or
innovation
What to do if you cannot think of an idea?
 Is there a particular methodology that you would like to
develop some skill in?
 What are your strong points:
o working with numbers,
o talking to people,
o detailed note taking
o analytical skills?

 Look at previous dissertations. Flick to indicated future


research questions
 Relate a topic to your own interest: sports, volunteer
work (this would help to access to a special population!)
Reviewing the literature

 Journal articles, research reports, edited chapters, or


theses
 Check their bibliography and build from there
 Copious notes on key theorists and methodologies
 Indicated future directions

See Jesson et al. (2011)


Framing your research question/aim

 From Hypotheses to Hippopotamuses!


 Brainstorm and write down as many
questions/aims as you can
 Repeat this every few days over this week and next
 Review your questions and see if any appear to
look like research questions/aims
 Make your question/aim succinct and concise
Starting a research notebook

 Take it everywhere. You never know when a good


idea may ‘pop’ into your head
 Time management
 Recalling the methodological difficulties you
encountered
 Recalling ideas you decided against for future
research in discussion chapter
Issues to always keep in mind

 Ethics and Feasibility


 Resources
 Own knowledge (e.g. advanced
statistics)
 Any questions?
Social Research Methods – Reading List

Key Methodology Authors: Useful Texts:

Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods (5th


Ed.). UK: Oxford University Press

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2015). Business Research


Methods (4th Ed.). UK: Oxford University Press

Silverman, D. (2016). Qualitative Research (4th


Ed.). London: Sage

Jesson, J. K., Matheson, L., & Lacey, F. M. (2011).


Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and
Systematic Techniques. London: Sage

Palgrave Study Skills Series:


Pears, R., Shields, G. (2016). Cite Them Right:
The Essential Referencing Guide. UK: Macmillan
Education

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