The topic you choose for your research paper is critical because it shows your commitment and interest in a particular area of study. Bearing in mind the length of a research project, the topic should be interesting enough to carry you through the entire research. This is a skill that any student can develop and the topic you choose can mean the difference between a good paper and a research that has just been put together for the sake of it.
Writing a good research paper feels like an enormous burden hanging over the heads of students. However, if you know the crucial steps involved in choosing the right topic, writing a paper can be easy and fun for you. If you are wondering, how do I write my paper, below are tips to start you off with the research topic.
Brainstorming
This is the first and relatively simple step in choosing a topic that is suitable for you. While it is important that you get something that interests you, do not shy away from getting out of your comfort zone. Look at the news and see what is going on. This could spark a thought that can be the basis on which you choose your topic.
Do not be afraid to discuss it with friends so that they can give their views on how your topic is. It may take one more mind to validate the topic and give you the confidence that you are working on something that is researchable.
Select a Topic and be Specific
Once you have zeroed in on the area of interest, the next stage is to pick a topic. Doing this step right will shape the rest of the research process. There is a danger of being too specific at the earliest stage. The best process is that of elimination where you start with a general topic and then eliminate what is not necessary to get to the final refined topic.
You may feel that starting off with a finalized idea is the best way to save time. However, the time you spend thinking through your topic until it is refined, is very important and will come in handy in the rest of the process. It is therefore important not to rush through.
Ensure you keep your topic manageable because a narrower or broader topic will be difficult to research. You can limit a broader topic by geographical area, by culture, by timeframe, or by discipline.
Structure Your Topic in the Form of a Question
When you drill down to the specific topic, what is left is to define your topic as a question. This will help you contextualize your paper. Assuming your topic was on the effect of poverty on accessing education in North Dakota, you can pose the question as; ‘how has poverty influenced education outcomes in North Dakota?’
The question then invites you into a research process aimed at answering it. Your findings will help other researchers in the same niche to build onto the existing knowledge.
Be Flexible
It is a common occurrence to modify your topic during the research process. When you are at the starting point, you can hardly tell what is in it for you. You may choose a topic thinking that it is narrow enough to support a study only to find out that there is so much information to the extent that you are forced to narrow it again. Flexibility also helps where you find a certain aspect of the topic to be more interesting or manageable than initially framed.
Deepen Your Topic Research
There are specific aspects of your topic that call for a deeper research. Using the keywords that you have put together, find more information that will help you in answering your research question. It is important to do some research and thorough reading before settling on your final topic.
The further research will help you establish whether you have enough information to answer the question posed.
While you do all this, remember that your research paper has an assigned length. The depth of coverage should not go beyond or require you to extend the number of pages. Even though the choice of your topic can be a complex process, once you get through it, the rest of the processes can be much easier for you to work out.
