How do researchers form a research topic?
For doctoral (PhD) students, I advice beginning with a topic that:
Expertise - Begin with a subject that you are familiar with and have a good understanding and experience. There’s sufficient pressure to learn and apply doctoral research and writing without also having to learn about the topic being researched.
Passion - Choose a topic that you are interested in as you will be digging deep for potentially several years, plus known for your research beyond earning the doctorate.
Domain - Choose a topic that is without your degree specialization, e.g., business, IT, education, etc.
A “Done” Dissertation - Choose a topic that would logically lead to a “done” dissertation. Avoid topics that would take too long or be too difficult to complete.
Problem - Identify a problem in the literature to address that is tangible, significant, and citable from a recent peer-reviewed source.
Gap - Identify a gap in the literature that justifies the need for research.
For more on this topic, see:
Dissertation Topic Selection: A Critical Choice Toward Doctoral Success or Failure
Lawrence Ness's answer to What factors would influence your choice of a research topic?
Lawrence Ness's answer to What factors would influence your choice of a research topic?
Lawrence Ness's answer to How do I find a good research topic for my paper?
Lawrence Ness's answer to Is identifying a research topic harder than writing a PhD dissertation?
Source: https://www.quora.com/How-do-researchers-form-a-research-topic/answer/Lawrence-Ness-4
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