Criteria of selecting a research topic
I’m in my first year of doctoral program. I have been studying literature regularly to find a topic which interests me. But I could not find any! Thence I tried to look for some guide on internet and read a number of blog posts on how to choose a research topic. But then, all of those blogs come to same conclusion that a perfect research topic should be manageable, exploratory, addressing an unresolved problem, and should have plenty of resources for research. But how would I know if I can manage the topic which I’m considering? Who will tell me if this particular topic is exploratory or not?
Posted in: Research
Maya Verma 1:17 am on June 25, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Found this video on you tube. Check it out. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp2kscopexmaster/chapter/choosing-a-manageable-research-topic/
Tia Ross 8:19 am on June 27, 2017 Permalink | Log in to Reply
What I understand by the word ‘manageable’ topic is in terms of resources, knowledge and time. Suppose if you decide the topic Women in the 21st century which is too broad. It covers all the women around the world (black, white, Asian) who can be working in service sectors, taking care of household responsibilities. This topic also encompasses the women from all age groups whether they are married, single, divorced or dowager. You see? Here, you have got a lot of things to explore which you might not be able to study. You lack resources & time to do research. All these things you have to manage by yourself only. You must study and evaluate what all can be done, all can be studied, all can be analysed well. If you pick up large themes to work upon, you might end creating a complete mess of your PhD.
Hoping all three questions of yours have been answered now.