Research Process : Choosing and Filtering a Research Topic

Contents :

1. Starting Point

2. University Library

3. Prioritize topics that genuinely interest you

4. Play to your Strengths

5. KISS

Introduction :

The idea of this post is to brief on the steps I followed in order to find and finalize my Research Topic.

Starting Point

Step 1: Decide your broad area of interest. For example, DevOps/ ML/ AI.

Step 2: Go to Google Scholar --> Search for Empirical Research, also Review Papers.

-Search papers within the last 5 years,

-Give preference to Papers with higher citations.

Step 3: Skim through the abstract. If appropriate, then continue else proceed with next.

Step 4: Navigate to the conclusions and/or recommendations.

-Navigate to FRIN ( Future Research is needed ).

-The FRIN section generally contains a wealth of potential research ideas, as suggested by the authors. These suggestions will indicate possible research gaps that your project could build from and contribute to the field.

-Note your topics of interest from FRIN if you want to proceed with them.

Step 5: Check if your future research topic has been taken.

-Look up the relevant article again in Google Scholar and click on the “Cited by” link to see which studies have since cited that particular piece of work.

-Work through those cited studies to verify if the research gap still remains. If it does, you can add the topic to your list of potentials.

University Library

1. Find dissertations from past students and check out FRIN here.

2. University will also have access to other DB. Check your subscriptions.

3. Refer to past papers here for format, structure, and layout norms.

4. Public dissertation databases: ProQuest and EBSCO.

5. Engage with other students and brainstorm and generate ideas.

6. Ask lots of questions, it will fast-track your program and clear your doubts.

Prioritize topics that genuinely interest you

1. Start evaluating the options and refining your potential topics.

2. Focus on topic ideas that are of genuine interest to you.

3. Be confident in whichever topic you settle on.

Play to your Strengths

1. Give preference to topic ideas that play to your strengths in terms of the research design and methodology.

2. Decide on the following :

-What kind of research approach (qualitative or quantitative) is comfortable for me?

-Where and/or whom can I collect data from?

-Will I be able to collect the intended data within the time limit of my project?

3. Note :

Qualitative research, commonly abbreviated to QUAL, tends to rely on personal engagement with people, so this kind of research makes use of interviews, focus groups, or observations for data collection. In contrast, quantitative research, or QUANT, predominantly involves analyzing numerical data using statistical methods. Mixed methods, or MIXED, make use of both qualitative and quantitative features in a holistic manner.

Rule of thumb, a simpler design executed well will typically earn more marks than a complex one executed poorly.

4. Note:

It is important to be realistic about the data and people (participants) that you’ll be able to access to accommodate any given topic and approach. It can be particularly challenging to recruit participants for a variety of reasons and it’s extremely common for students to overestimate the availability of data or interviewees, which can lead to major problems down the line. Remember, without data, you have no study!

5. Note:

Nevertheless, don’t be shy to reach out to people and ask for favors or get feedback, as they are generally receptive, but be respectful of their time and do this well in advance. Ultimately, if you’re not confident that you can access the required data for any potential topic, avoid that research topic.

Keep it Simple Silly

What typically works best is a simple project that’s executed well, rather than a complex project done poorly. So, 1.keep your scope narrow and focused rather than trying to connect every possible dot with your research. This can be accomplished by keeping your research focus straightforward, making sure your research questions, aims, and objectives are all in alignment, and by finding a new way to expand on existing work, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel and start from scratch.

Importantly, you need to be realistic about what’s manageable within your timeframe. Your program will only last a finite amount of time, so you need to think about what you can do within that time frame. Overall, the key assessment criteria will be whether you’ve learned how to design and carry out research, not whether your research has broken new ground.

Recap :

1. Start with the literature and focus on FRIN

2. Leverage your university’s past dissertation database

3. Prioritize topics/areas that you have a genuine interest in

4. Play to your strengths in terms of topic and methodology

5. Keep it simple

References:

GradCoach

Note:

Personal Notes and shortcuts to follow during my DBA

Accessed and modified / Notes :

Ver 1 : 19.06.2022