How to Choose a Research Topic in 6 Steps

Staring at a blank white page on the computer is really hard. Of all the stages that a person goes through to write a research paper, coming up with the topic is the hardest and most important part. Choosing a topic and sticking to it might feel overwhelming, especially when it’s been tremendously researched before, so you might feel like your research won't add much. However, you’re mistaken.

There are always gaps in every field and research paper, and maybe you can be the one to fill them. So your research will definitely add value to your field. That's why Educatly is here to guide you and share with you 6 easy steps to ace your research!

How to Choose a Research Topic

1. Stick to your field 

We know that there are a lot of interesting topics out there, but it's always better to invest in the topics that are related to your field of study, expertise, education, or even interest. If you are a media student, make sure your research topic is related to media. For example, you can write about freedom of speech and its impact on media but not about feminism in the medieval age.

2. Read a lot of research papers

As previously mentioned, there are a lot of gaps in every field, topic, and research. You wouldn’t be able to find those gaps without actually reading a lot. So before you actually start drafting your research paper, make sure you expose yourself to previous pieces that were written about your topic. That way, you will be able to know what to write about and what’s been already discussed.

3. Narrow it down

Narrowing your topic down is exactly what you should do once you decide on the perfect topic. Your research must be specific, precise, straight to the point, and actually address something that has not been addressed before. Let's say you finally decided to do your research on podcasts, so you’ll need to ask yourself these questions: What’s your approach to podcasts? Why? When? And where? Because hundreds of previous research papers were done about podcasts, narrowing it down to something more specific will make your research paper stand out. 

4. Know your argument 

Always ask yourself, what is your argument? What are you trying to ask or answer? What made you write this research paper? Of course, something provoked you enough, so you decided to research it yourself to figure out the truth behind it. So, before you actually start to type down the final title of your paper, think about the questions that should be answered throughout your paper. 

If you are writing a research paper about podcast consumption among different age groups in the Middle East, you need to know what exactly your argument is about that or what you want to know about podcast consumption among different age groups in the Middle East. So ask yourself some questions, and you’ll get there!

5. Share your idea with other people

You need to ensure that this topic is as interesting to other people as it is to you. So maybe it will be nice to talk to your peers about your topic and know their opinions about it. You never know; they might add some insights that you didn't think of!  

6. Finally, fall in love with your topic! 

The research paper will grow with you. Dedicating your time to writing, reading, studying, and researching is not a super fun process unless you’re passionate about the research topic. So make sure you choose a topic that really interests you. 

Congratulations! By now, you should know the steps to choose the perfect research topic and know what to write. The next step is creating a strong research paper, and Educatly will tell you all about it. Sign up to Educatly, and browse through our blog posts to learn more about education and studying abroad from here.

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