Selecting a dissertation topic can be unexpectedly tricky, especially at the point when the first research question you come up with appears to be too large, too straightforward or too tricky to explore. Students ordering cheap dissertation writing services online often find that the trick is not just to produce thousands of words but to shape a research question that can underpin a worthwhile academic argument. A good dissertation starts with a research question that provides shape to the research, its scope and leaves space for some serious critical analysis.
Similar problems face students searching for coursework help online. An interesting title may not necessarily make a suitable dissertation topic. For example, a topic might seem to have a lot of potential but in fact be useless if there isn’t enough literature, no possible means of collecting evidence, or no clear research problem being addressed. Knowing the techniques of how to convert a feeble question into a tight dissertation topic can therefore really prove to be a very useful time-saving exercise.
What Makes a Research Question Weak?
A weak research question is not necessarily a bad idea. Sometimes a weak research question is just one that hasn’t been taken as far as it should in order to be a good dissertation topic. For example, students often start out with very broad research questions like, “What effect does social media have on students?”
or “How does artificial intelligence affect business?”
These are very interesting questions, but they allow too much room for interpretation to be an effective dissertation question.
Yet another problem may be that some of the research questions are not analytical but descriptive. Questions like ‘what is it?’, ‘how prevalent is it?’ and ‘what happened?’ may be fine as hypothesis-generating questions at the beginning of a research process, but what a dissertation needs in most cases is more.
A question may additionally be weak due to being too focused. An overly specific study for which there is little academic literature or primary evidence may leave the researcher unable to develop a meaningful dissertation. The aim is therefore not merely to make a question smaller, but narrow enough to be capable of examination, yet deep enough to present discussion.
Start by Identifying the Core Subject
Prior to trying to reframe a research question, determine the key focus area that you are truly keen on. This could be anything such as home working, environmentally friendly clothing, AI in education, motivation of employees, childhood obesity, digital security, global trade, or something from your course degree.
Don’t rush into trying to come up with the perfect question here. Think about what it is that you find interesting about the broader topic. For instance, a student who is interested in artificial intelligence may initially decide to look at the way AI influences education.
This is how a broad domain of interest can evolve into a potential research line. Ideally, a research topic for a thesis will develop out of a general field-to-a specific point of practical or scientific import.
Find the Problem Behind the Topic
A good dissertation studies a problem, and not just a subject. After choosing the general area, wonder about what questions are unresolved, disputed, emerging, neglected, or unclear in respect of it.
Imagine your broad research topic is related to the area of employee wellbeing and the use of remote working. If you were to pose a question such as ‘Does remote working impact on employee wellbeing?’ then this would be likely to result in a fairly straightforward and generic piece of research.
The problem may be that past research has produced inconsistent results, research has focused on special cases or, something has changed from when previous research took place. Finding this problem is what gives the dissertation a purpose. Rather than simply explaining a topic, the research has the task to fix or clarify something that is not yet understood.
Narrow the Scope Without Making It Too Small
Selecting the scope of the research is one of the key moments in choosing a dissertation topic. A general research problem can be broken down into specific areas when further aspects are added.
They might be a specific population, a location, a sector, a form of organisation, a time period, a form of technology, policy, or a way of thinking about things (theoretical lens). For example, “How does working from home impact the wellbeing of employees?” could be changed to “How has the use of hybrid working affected the perceived work-life balance of early-career employees in UK professional services companies?”
The trick is not to limit your question just to make it shorter. Each restriction should be a valid reason. If you have selected a specific population, account for its importance. If you pick a specific place, think about whether the place provides an important setting for your research.
Final Thoughts
Narrowing down a weak research question to a compelling research topic can be frustrating. Begin with a topic you have a real passion for. Then pinpoint the problem you want to explore, look to what is already known on the topic and find the gap you think warrants further research, then decide on the population and setting you’re aiming to research and develop a research question that can be answered based on the evidence you are able to obtain.
Most crucially, don’t think the more complex a question sounds, the better. A dissertation title doesn’t have to sound complicated to be good. It should be clear, specific, manageable, relate to your discipline and provide scope for insightful reflection.
In combination with a clear research question, all of the above aspects of the research process become much more straightforward. The research question acts as a guiding force in the literature review, methodology, data collection and analysis, and conclusion so that all of the chapters are working towards the same aim. A vague idea thus become a well-defined project in which there is a clear academic contribution.
