Well begun is half done. Your article is only as good as your topic. In fact, the topic, which is also the article’s title, is the first thing people read about in any paper. Only then do they decide if it is worth reading or not? A good research topic describes the scope of the article as a whole.
However, it is an amazingly neglected subject. Authors may spend weeks or even months writing an article, and yet they might not spend enough time searching for a good research topic. Even worse, some cannot go through this first stage and come up with a good enough research topic.
In many cases, people fail to write good articles, as they cannot define their research topic well. A good research topic is just a few words long, but it defines the whole scope of the article. Therefore, people reading it must be able to tell what to expect from the article.
Good research topic also helps researchers. Once the topic has been completely and clearly defined, authoring an article on that topic becomes much more manageable. Thus, it is not just for readers, but defining a good research topic is equally vital for authors.
Begin with brainstorming to identify a good research topic
This is the first stage in generating good ideas. You just jot down all the ideas that come to your mind. You go through all the possible topics. Even include topics that are of not much interest to you. During this stage, it is vital to keep your mind open.
Of course, during this stage, you can also consult your colleagues, people who know you well. They might help you come up with some good research topics.
Just keep a few days for brainstorming. Remember that some of the most brilliant ideas come spontaneously. Your Eureka moment will come during the most unexpected times. Thus, carry out brainstorming for a few days or even weeks.
There is no right time to carry out brainstorming. It can be done explicitly or even when walking in a park, at bedtime, etc.
Select the research question based on your strengths and its practical value
Once you have many topics ready, it is time to decide. First, however, remember that intrinsic and extrinsic factors play a vital role in any decision-making.
What is the use of selecting a topic that is quite challenging for you, and you cannot come up with a good article on the matter or cannot do much research? Keep in mind your strengths and limitations.
For example, carrying out some large-scale experiment involving humans or animals may be out of scope for you. On the other hand, a literature review or even a study through an online survey may be more realistic for you.
The next step would be considering extrinsic factors like what is the importance of that research topic. It makes no sense to research a topic that is of little practical value. There are many ways of finding out if the subject is relevant. Generally, it will mean keeping yourself abreast of the latest research into the topic.
It is vital to consider the current gaps in the literature. It makes no sense to do research on a topic that has been covered extensively by various studies, and there is not much to answer. Of course, sometimes even a large number of studies does not mean high-quality evidence – that is why systematic literature reviews are done. Nevertheless, remember that there are so many topics to work on and so many unanswered questions in any field. Thus, finding a gap is not as difficult.
Pay attention to a general interest in the topic – test your topic for its strength
This is a less-discussed area when choosing a good research topic. However, make sure that your topic goes through the litmus test for popularity. Most people who write research articles are good at science and have excellent writing skills. However, they do not understand the importance of finding a topic many people are searching for. Writing a research article on a topic that very few are interested in is of little use.
There are many ways of finding interest in the topic, like looking at Google trends. It shows the popularity of a specific topic over time. One may also use various freely available keyword tools to see the topic’s popularity.
After all, the research topic is not just about scientific progress. It is also for the personal progress of authors. It is not merely something that is needed to complete your studies, fulfill job requirements, and so on. It may be life-changing for you if you can come up with some popular research topics. Even a single article on a sought-after topic may add more value to your carrier than tens of articles no one reads.
Suppose you write article on the sought after topic. In that case, it is more likely to become popular and cited by others, and this will help establish you as an expert in the field. Hence, researchers must understand that doing research and writing down a research article is one thing, but marketing something is also essential. It is vital to find a topic that people would like to read. A good research topic must add value to readers.
To sum up, remember how good your research is, and an article will ultimately depend on how good the topic is. Thus, spend sufficient time and effort developing a good research topic.
