How to Generate a Research Topic

Now that we are familiar with how the academic research paper components, look like, we can dive into the second step in the research journey which is developing a research topic. Think about what you enjoy or what makes you curious. Do you love technology, nature, music, or helping people? Your interests are like a treasure map that will guide you to your research topic. Write down a list of things you like or are curious about or are passionate about.

Once you have your list, think about any problems or questions related to those interests. For example, if you love technology, you might wonder how smartphones affect sleep. If you’re interested in nature, you might think about how climate change affects polar bears. If your are persuing a business course, you might be interested in how VAT has affected net profits on medium sized business enterprises.

Now, let’s pick one of those questions or problems. Make sure it’s something specific enough to research but not too broad. For instance, “How do smartphones affect teenagers’ sleep patterns?” is better than “How do smartphones affect sleep?” because it’s more specific.

Do some quick research to see if there’s enough information available. Look for articles, books, or studies on your topic. If you find a lot of information, great! If not, you might need to make small changes in your question a bit.

Finally, turn your question into a research topic. Make it clear and concise. For example, “The Impact of Smartphone Usage on Teenagers’ Sleep Patterns.”

Below is a quick summary of what you should consider during research topic formulation.

Discover Your Interests: Write down what you like.
Explore Problems or Questions: Think of issues or questions related to your interests.
Narrow It Down: Choose a specific question.
Check for existing literature: Make sure there’s enough information.
Formulate Your Topic: Turn your question into a clear research topic.

Example

Imagine you love video games. Here’s how you might find your topic:

Interests: Video games.
Questions: Do video games affect students’ grades? How do video games impact social skills?
Narrow Down: How do video games affect students’ grades?
Check for existing literature about the topic: Lots of articles and studies available.
Topic: “The Effect of Video Game Play on High School Students’ Academic Performance.”