Most undergraduate and graduate students find it hard coming up with a good dissertation topic. Moreover, the students may lack the required experience to write a great dissertation, hence choosing a proposal topic becomes an overwhelming task.
The typical life of a student is flooded with endless tasks including juggling employment, studying for classes and preparing for exams, hinders them from devoting time to write their dissertation. These tips below will help choose a suitable dissertation title, regardless of your academic level.
Choosing the Most Ideal Dissertation Topic
Relevance – Before commencing any work on your dissertation, ensure you choose a relevant topic. The best way to do this is to narrow down your research to your subject area only. Limiting your research to your sole area of interest allows you to devise the most intriguing and appropriate title.
Pick an interesting topic – Choosing a topic that interests you and not your tutor is a great move to completing your dissertation well. If the topic does not appeal to you, your apathy will quickly show up to the readers once they lay eyes on your work. Also, if you choose an exciting topic, you will find it easier, fun and motivating to work on your dissertation.
Choose a topic you can handle – It is vital choosing a topic you can comfortably and confidently handle. Some students tend to believe working on a tough topic will earn them extra marks. If you choose a difficult topic that you lack interested in, your output will reflect your disinterest thus affect your final grades. The core factor to consider here is choosing a topic that reflects your level of experience and skill set.
Go for a familiar dissertation topic – Choosing a topic that you already know more about is an added advantage unlike choosing an alien topic. Additionally, a topic you are already familiar about may prove useful in the future and your career. Working on a familiar topic will ensure you remain focused and interested on the topic as well influence your job opportunities.
Choose a thought-provoking dissertation topic – Choosing a challenging topic that poses a composite question will need to be answered in varied ways. A simple thesis topic will not guarantee a passing grade. Ensure your topic can be answered in a manner it includes both positive and negative arguments within your dissertation.
Choose an answerable topic – Students may sometimes choose difficult questions that are hard to tackle. In such scenarios, make sure you can support it with great arguments. You may lean on one side of the argument within the conclusion of the document or provide a neutral conclusion that neither affirms the positive or negative, but must answer the question.
Choose questions that you can unearth data to support them – Tackling a topic where the available data is insufficient to fully support your thesis statement, increases your chances of failure. Always avoid topics with limited sources of data. Weak data has often been the primary cause of failure for most dissertations as you cannot support an argument with non-existent data.
Choose a present-day dissertation topic – A good dissertation topic is one that is current. The modern academic world is rife with constantly new research and information. Choosing an outdated topic may prove hard unearthing valid sources of information. In all honesty, as the academic world evolves with fresh ideas and new research areas of interest, it beats logic keeping abreast with the academic world trends.
Choose an original and unique dissertation topic – Coming up with an original and unique dissertation topic does not necessarily mean creating an entirely different dissertation topic. You can build on an existing thesis whereby you can vary your approach, modify your angle of vision and alter the emphasis of the current dissertation topic. However, if you are unsure of your proposed topic, it is best advised you discuss it with your tutor.
Other methods you can rely on to choose a suitable dissertation topic include: narrowing your subject area, simplifying your subject area, finding an appropriate tutor, seeking advice from teachers, changing your dissertation title, determining your preferred research method, etc.
Writing a quality dissertation incorporates distinct elements that ultimately add up to the overall dissertation. These guidelines offer a solid base upon which you can build on your dissertation writing prowess.