Review of note-taking apps (6/6) Finding a Research Topic
“Oh no, I have no idea what to write about!”
If this sounds familiar to you, this Learning Unit will hopefully help you in your times of need! Anyone who wants (or needs) to find a research topic will find themselves struggling with this process, as the possibilities and opportunities are virtually endless. However, in our opinion the best place to start looking is within yourself and, in order to help you find your ideal research topic, we have prepared five general questions you can ask yourself:
WHY, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN.
This alternate approach will help you find a research topic that you are personally interested in and also allow you to reflect on possible findings yourself.
If this sounds familiar to you, this Learning Unit will hopefully help you in your times of need! Anyone who wants (or needs) to find a research topic will find themselves struggling with this process, as the possibilities and opportunities are virtually endless. However, in our opinion the best place to start looking is within yourself and, in order to help you find your ideal research topic, we have prepared five general questions you can ask yourself:
WHY, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN.
This alternate approach will help you find a research topic that you are personally interested in and also allow you to reflect on possible findings yourself.
Why?
The WHY of your research topic is important not only because it informs the reader about the contents of your project - it also helps you reflect on your own decisions: WHY did you choose this particular topic and not another? WHY is it worth writing about? WHY has no one else written about this?
Do you have any experience with the topic? Would you mind sharing something personal? For example: Is there something you especially care about? Do you have a hobby that can be used for your project? A personal interest is always a good starting point when looking for something to write about. You can use your own point of view and experience to inspire and enrich your writing!
Does your possible research topic have to do with your studies or can it otherwise relate to your studies? Your research topic should have to do with the topic of the course you are writing for. That does not mean that you are forced to write about books or similar texts you have already worked on - just keep in mind that the general themes and concepts remain important and should lead back to your studies!
Is there a book/movie/etc that comes to mind when you think about the subject? You can always take a closer look at those in order to find specific topics to write about: Characters, plots, or even their creators! You can always compare different forms of media as well.
If you have absolutely no idea about or no connection to the subject at all, ask yourself: Why is that? Try to find out why you aren’t interested or why the subject has never come up, maybe you can find something of interest in places that you didn’t expect.
Do you have any experience with the topic? Would you mind sharing something personal? For example: Is there something you especially care about? Do you have a hobby that can be used for your project? A personal interest is always a good starting point when looking for something to write about. You can use your own point of view and experience to inspire and enrich your writing!
Does your possible research topic have to do with your studies or can it otherwise relate to your studies? Your research topic should have to do with the topic of the course you are writing for. That does not mean that you are forced to write about books or similar texts you have already worked on - just keep in mind that the general themes and concepts remain important and should lead back to your studies!
Is there a book/movie/etc that comes to mind when you think about the subject? You can always take a closer look at those in order to find specific topics to write about: Characters, plots, or even their creators! You can always compare different forms of media as well.
If you have absolutely no idea about or no connection to the subject at all, ask yourself: Why is that? Try to find out why you aren’t interested or why the subject has never come up, maybe you can find something of interest in places that you didn’t expect.
Who?
WHO are the information providers on this topic? Who might publish information about it? Who is affected by the topic? Do you know of organizations or institutions affiliated with the topic?
After proper discussion of Why, now we come to the question of Who. This question is just as important as any other. When we look for a research topic, we should consider important information providers of the topic. For instance, in the case of art, we should consult an artist to gather more information about it. It is understood that an artist who is inside the scenario can provide additional and professional information.
Secondly, in the case of publishing, we should have a clear picture of people involved in publishing, for example: there are several people who have deep knowledge in a relevant field and publish information about different subjects within that field.
In addition, the people who are affected by the subject are also important. When looking for a research topic we should consider the people involved in the relevant fields. When selecting a subject, for example a topic of African studies, the topic will be affected by the students who learn African studies. This is so important to be noticed. We can upload our research materials on the internet to help the students. But it is up to you.
Lastly, we may consider the institutions and organizations related to our subject. They are going to have a major role in our subject, which means we can have direct conversations with the organizations. It will enrich our knowledge in the field and allow us to present more educated arguments. There are also many chances to get different ideas from institutions related to our subject because they have already done advanced research about the topic. For instance, when we do research about the health of human beings, the pieces of information can be collected from the organization of the World Health Organization [WHO]
After proper discussion of Why, now we come to the question of Who. This question is just as important as any other. When we look for a research topic, we should consider important information providers of the topic. For instance, in the case of art, we should consult an artist to gather more information about it. It is understood that an artist who is inside the scenario can provide additional and professional information.
Secondly, in the case of publishing, we should have a clear picture of people involved in publishing, for example: there are several people who have deep knowledge in a relevant field and publish information about different subjects within that field.
In addition, the people who are affected by the subject are also important. When looking for a research topic we should consider the people involved in the relevant fields. When selecting a subject, for example a topic of African studies, the topic will be affected by the students who learn African studies. This is so important to be noticed. We can upload our research materials on the internet to help the students. But it is up to you.
Lastly, we may consider the institutions and organizations related to our subject. They are going to have a major role in our subject, which means we can have direct conversations with the organizations. It will enrich our knowledge in the field and allow us to present more educated arguments. There are also many chances to get different ideas from institutions related to our subject because they have already done advanced research about the topic. For instance, when we do research about the health of human beings, the pieces of information can be collected from the organization of the World Health Organization [WHO]
What?
After WHY and WHO, you might have a clear idea about the topic at hand and can also identify the people, institutions, fields of study, or demographics affected by it. By asking the right questions, we can be more specific and take an in-depth look at an issue. The guiding question “WHAT” will help you to formulate a basic structure for your research topic.
In this section, you narrow down your broad topic to a specific area that holds research reliance. For example, suppose your topic is about Rap Music in America, and you identify that the people who get affected by it are African Americans. Now you can ask questions such as how rap music impacted their life? Are there any social, political, or cultural movements that are influenced or get influenced by it? How the introduction of Rap influenced the American music industry and the whole entertainment industry globally. By asking the right questions, you can formulate the structure of your research work.
All these questions enable you to make it more specific. If you find your topic too broad, you can also take a particular frame of time, movement, demographics, or era to narrow down your topic to a specific area where you can elaborate and enrich your topic and explore the topic in-depth.
Then you can go ahead and check if there is an ongoing debate going on around your topic. Researching the internet read journals and books related to your subject. It helps you understand what kind of questions people are more interested in and the questions that are yet to be discussed or remain unanswered. You can also think if there are some insights or personal contributions you can provide to the subject.
After that, the next question to ask is if there are various issues and viewpoints to consider regarding your topic. Identify what kind of viewpoint you are coming from and critically reflect on it. To what extent is your own perspective limited? What are others saying about the topic? Looking at the topic from different perspectives enables you to approach the subject from a new angle you have never thought of before. Considering people's viewpoints, institutions, or the study of concern directly affected by it gives more room for you to delve deep into the core of your subject at hand and explore further.
Finally, after you lay out all your questions, thoughts, opinions, and perspectives to make an objective argument about them, you can also refer to already published research papers related to your topic. Please note that, as an academic, you need to refer to research already published on the topic to generate a full picture. Reading those works lets you gain insights on the subject, reconsider the opinions or conclusions you came to, or even give you more ideas that you can incorporate into your work. In addition to that, it also helps you to put your critical thinking skills to the test, as it makes you rethink your argument and be more critical. Being reasonable, critical, and objective are the prerequisites to finding, structuring, and finally writing a research topic free from personal biases and crafting your work as objective as possible.
In this section, you narrow down your broad topic to a specific area that holds research reliance. For example, suppose your topic is about Rap Music in America, and you identify that the people who get affected by it are African Americans. Now you can ask questions such as how rap music impacted their life? Are there any social, political, or cultural movements that are influenced or get influenced by it? How the introduction of Rap influenced the American music industry and the whole entertainment industry globally. By asking the right questions, you can formulate the structure of your research work.
All these questions enable you to make it more specific. If you find your topic too broad, you can also take a particular frame of time, movement, demographics, or era to narrow down your topic to a specific area where you can elaborate and enrich your topic and explore the topic in-depth.
Then you can go ahead and check if there is an ongoing debate going on around your topic. Researching the internet read journals and books related to your subject. It helps you understand what kind of questions people are more interested in and the questions that are yet to be discussed or remain unanswered. You can also think if there are some insights or personal contributions you can provide to the subject.
After that, the next question to ask is if there are various issues and viewpoints to consider regarding your topic. Identify what kind of viewpoint you are coming from and critically reflect on it. To what extent is your own perspective limited? What are others saying about the topic? Looking at the topic from different perspectives enables you to approach the subject from a new angle you have never thought of before. Considering people's viewpoints, institutions, or the study of concern directly affected by it gives more room for you to delve deep into the core of your subject at hand and explore further.
Finally, after you lay out all your questions, thoughts, opinions, and perspectives to make an objective argument about them, you can also refer to already published research papers related to your topic. Please note that, as an academic, you need to refer to research already published on the topic to generate a full picture. Reading those works lets you gain insights on the subject, reconsider the opinions or conclusions you came to, or even give you more ideas that you can incorporate into your work. In addition to that, it also helps you to put your critical thinking skills to the test, as it makes you rethink your argument and be more critical. Being reasonable, critical, and objective are the prerequisites to finding, structuring, and finally writing a research topic free from personal biases and crafting your work as objective as possible.
Where?
Like the previous W's we discussed, it is also important to look at the point "where" the topic is focused. The question "where" gives you more ideas to go further with the topic. It helps to discuss the geographical context of the topic.
For example, if we take the topic "Rap music in America" and need to go further, comparison of this in a geographical context helps to find the relevance of the topic.
We can compare the topic globally. Each country has its own unique style and culture. The rap music would be different from America when comparing Germany. Sometimes it may not have that much importance compared to America. So, it varies from each country or even region or cities. The language culture and the public interest of that region helps it's atmosphere to develop and when we analyse this we understand how this might affect a particular people or community or even if it matters globally.
For example, if we take the topic "Rap music in America" and need to go further, comparison of this in a geographical context helps to find the relevance of the topic.
We can compare the topic globally. Each country has its own unique style and culture. The rap music would be different from America when comparing Germany. Sometimes it may not have that much importance compared to America. So, it varies from each country or even region or cities. The language culture and the public interest of that region helps it's atmosphere to develop and when we analyse this we understand how this might affect a particular people or community or even if it matters globally.
When?
Now that we have already dealt with WHY, WHO, WHAT and WHERE, it’s time for us to look into WHEN.
Is your chosen topic a current matter or a historical one? When is/was it important? Trying to analyze the topic under the historical background will help you better present your ideas.
If it’s a current matter, with which realm is it associated? Or in what aspects is it important? You can always set off from a starting point such as economy, culture, politics, etc., and you can always support your arguments with current events or movements going on right now in the world. Always keep an eye on current news and social events since they might contribute to your arguments. You can also look into modern movies, TV series and music because they might convey some ideology that might be useful in your writing. Also, use social media wisely and you will find a lot of information which you can use in the analysis of your topic.
If it’s a historical issue, you might want to dig into different phases of your topic. In different eras your topic may present different levels of significance and different ideas. You can always compare your topic by time periods so as to find out the process of an evolving event such as BLM movement, LGBTQ movement, women rights movement, etc.. The key is to know the history of your topic and always analyze an event in its corresponding era. Also, by getting some deep insights into the different stages of an event you might get some new ideas or new perspectives to add to your creativity.
Always pay attention to WHEN so that the analysis of your topic might be more logical.
Is your chosen topic a current matter or a historical one? When is/was it important? Trying to analyze the topic under the historical background will help you better present your ideas.
If it’s a current matter, with which realm is it associated? Or in what aspects is it important? You can always set off from a starting point such as economy, culture, politics, etc., and you can always support your arguments with current events or movements going on right now in the world. Always keep an eye on current news and social events since they might contribute to your arguments. You can also look into modern movies, TV series and music because they might convey some ideology that might be useful in your writing. Also, use social media wisely and you will find a lot of information which you can use in the analysis of your topic.
If it’s a historical issue, you might want to dig into different phases of your topic. In different eras your topic may present different levels of significance and different ideas. You can always compare your topic by time periods so as to find out the process of an evolving event such as BLM movement, LGBTQ movement, women rights movement, etc.. The key is to know the history of your topic and always analyze an event in its corresponding era. Also, by getting some deep insights into the different stages of an event you might get some new ideas or new perspectives to add to your creativity.
Always pay attention to WHEN so that the analysis of your topic might be more logical.
Conclusion / Example
Let’s assume you have decided “I want to write something about Rap!” because you were listening to music or just saw an ad for a new album somewhere. Having a general topic you want to write about is a good start, now you only need to refine it in order to get a proper research topic. By following the examples in this Learning Unit you can do just that!
WHY - Rap Music
WHO - African Americans
WHAT - Positive Influence on African Americans and American Politics
WHERE - United States of America
WHEN - 1970s - Present
Final Research Topic - Rap Music as a Positive Influence on African Americans and American Politics in the 1970s
By taking a general idea and filtering it through the questions of WHY, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN you engage in a constant process of reflection and evaluation - seeing what about your idea works and what doesn’t - and will eventually arrive at a research topic that should be neither too broad nor too narrow. With this problem solved, the real work can begin!
WHY - Rap Music
WHO - African Americans
WHAT - Positive Influence on African Americans and American Politics
WHERE - United States of America
WHEN - 1970s - Present
Final Research Topic - Rap Music as a Positive Influence on African Americans and American Politics in the 1970s
By taking a general idea and filtering it through the questions of WHY, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN you engage in a constant process of reflection and evaluation - seeing what about your idea works and what doesn’t - and will eventually arrive at a research topic that should be neither too broad nor too narrow. With this problem solved, the real work can begin!
Further Reading
MIT Libraries - “Selecting a Research Topic: Overview.”
https://libguides.mit.edu/select-topic
Scribbr - Developing Strong Research Questions | Criteria and Examples
https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-questions/
Southern State Community College - “Research Guide: 3. Research Question.”
https://sscc.libguides.com/c.php?g=18253&p=102734
https://libguides.mit.edu/select-topic
Scribbr - Developing Strong Research Questions | Criteria and Examples
https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-questions/
Southern State Community College - “Research Guide: 3. Research Question.”
https://sscc.libguides.com/c.php?g=18253&p=102734
Sources / References
Sources / References
McCombes, Shona. “Developing Strong Research Questions.” Scribbr, 22 Mar. 2021, www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-questions/. (Accessed 15.02.2022)
“Reaction Images - But Why?” Know Your Meme, 4 June 2020, knowyourmeme.com/photos/976824-reaction-images. (Accessed 07.02.2022)
"comics-interrogation-question-151341" - pixabay.com/vectors/comics-interrogation-question-151341/. (Accessed 18.02.2022)
“Research Guide: 3. Research Question.” Southern State Community College, sscc.libguides.com/c.php?g=18253&p=102734. (Accessed 15.02.2022)
“Selecting a Research Topic: Overview.” MIT Libraries, libguides.mit.edu/select-topic. (Accessed 14.02.2022)
“Reaction Images - But Why?” Know Your Meme, 4 June 2020, knowyourmeme.com/photos/976824-reaction-images. (Accessed 07.02.2022)
"comics-interrogation-question-151341" - pixabay.com/vectors/comics-interrogation-question-151341/. (Accessed 18.02.2022)
“Research Guide: 3. Research Question.” Southern State Community College, sscc.libguides.com/c.php?g=18253&p=102734. (Accessed 15.02.2022)
“Selecting a Research Topic: Overview.” MIT Libraries, libguides.mit.edu/select-topic. (Accessed 14.02.2022)
This page was created by students of the University of Marburg. Aswin Asok created the section on “WHAT”; the other students wish to remain anonymous