Getting Started with Topic Selection
Understanding Your Interests
- •Start with your professional experience and industry challenges
- •Identify problems you encounter in your daily work
- •Consider emerging trends in your field
- •Align with your long-term career goals
Initial Research Process
- •Conduct preliminary literature reviews
- •Look for "future research" sections in papers
- •Identify gaps between theory and practice
- •Review recent conference proceedings
Narrowing Your Focus
- •Move from broad area to specific research question
- •Ensure scope is manageable within 3-5 years
- •Consider data availability and accessibility
- •Validate feasibility with your advisor
Topic Evaluation Framework
Research Significance
25%- • Does it address a real business problem?
- • Will it contribute to theoretical knowledge?
- • Is there potential for practical application?
Data Accessibility
20%- • Can you access necessary data sources?
- • Are there ethical considerations?
- • What are the costs involved?
Methodological Feasibility
20%- • Do you have the required skills?
- • Is the methodology well-established?
- • Can you complete it within timeframe?
Career Alignment
20%- • Does it support your career goals?
- • Will it enhance your professional expertise?
- • Can it lead to publications?
Advisor Support
15%- • Does your advisor have expertise in this area?
- • Is there faculty interest in your topic?
- • Are there available committee members?
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Choosing too broad a topic
✓ Focus on a specific aspect that can be thoroughly investigated
❌ Ignoring data availability
✓ Verify data access before committing to a topic
❌ Following trends blindly
✓ Choose something you're genuinely passionate about
❌ Not considering advisor expertise
✓ Align your topic with available faculty support
❌ Underestimating time requirements
✓ Be realistic about research timeline and complexity
❌ Lack of theoretical foundation
✓ Ensure your topic connects to established theories
✅ Best Practices
- 1.Start with 3-5 potential topics and narrow down systematically
- 2.Schedule early and regular meetings with your advisor
- 3.Join topic selection workshops and peer discussions
- 4.Network with recent graduates in your field
- 5.Keep a research journal from day one
- 6.Set a firm deadline for final topic selection
Topic Selection Tools
🔍Available
Research Gap Analyzer
Identify gaps in existing literature
📊Available
Topic Feasibility Scorer
Evaluate your topic based on criteria
❓Available
Research Question Generator
Generate and refine research questions
📑Beta
Literature Matrix Builder
Organize research papers systematically