1. Developing a Research Topic
Lecture Two
Developing a Research Topic
University of Professional Studies

2. Steps to follow
Four main steps can generally be followed to successfully develop a good research topic. These steps include but not limited to:
Identifying an issue of concern or interest to the researcher
Stating the issue in a form of a single question
Turning the question into a statement or a topic
Evaluating the topic

3. How to identify an Issue
The issue may be generated from a myriad of sources:
Thinking up the issue by:
Observing a practical problem
Looking at how to improve a system
Examining a theory
Reviewing literature to identify gaps
Request for research proposal
For dissertation, the issue identified should be related to programme of study

4. Transforming the issue into a Question
Simply turn the issue into a single question that will adequately describe it. This may involve writing a number of questions and deciding on which properly addresses the issue of concern

5. How to turn a Question into a Topic
You can do so by:
Stating the question as a statement
Eliminating redundant word(s) or identifying the keywords and using them to frame the topic
The shorter the topic the better

6. Evaluating the Topic Ask if:
You can identify the variables of interest – dependent and independent variables if any.
NB: not all topics have dependent and independent variables
The topic is relevant
The topic meets the SMART criteria
Specific: Clear and Concise?
Measurable: are the variables quantifiable?
Achievable: ability to do
Realistic: doable?
Time-bound: