How to select a topic

Whether it's a small investigation or your doctoral thesis the number the basis of any investigative work is the "problem".


Selecting a good problem to base your investigation on is the foundation of a successful thesis.



Take these ideas into consideration when you select your problem.


First of all, don't get confused about what "a problem" actually is. I've always found this term to be somewhat of a confusing. When I'd teach investigation to my students, I'd invariably get students who submit problems like "There are too many children dying of malnutrition in the Third World". No doubt, that's a problem, but NOT an investigation problem.


An investigative problem is, in essence, and unknown. Don't think in terms of problem in the traditional sense of the word. Think in terms of unknowns. What don't we know that we'd like to know. A problem for a thesis investigation might read more like, "WHY are too many children dying of malnutrition in the Third World". That's not actually a very good problem for investigation (we'll get to that) but it IS an investigation problem. Think in terms of resolving unknowns.


The second main thing to take into consideration is that the problem is original. It can be an outgrowth of known information or a new take on an old problem, but you'd better not base your thesis on something like "Why is the sky blue?". Unless you have an earth shattering new response, the answer is well known and therefore no valid as a problem statement. The best way to know whether your esoteric problem is really original, take some time to review the bibliography (which of course you'll be doing anyway) but most of all, talk to respected people in the field who can let you know how original (and realistic) your problem statement is.


Once you select an overall problem that will be the foundation of your project, you then need to hone that problem down into fine tuned machine. Trust me, you don't want to work on a thesis project with a poorly stated problem. Hours, days, even weeks spent getting this set up correctly will save you triple the time later, and avoid starting a project that turns into a dead end.


Essentially your job at this point is to take a vague problem and turn it into a precise and DOABLE problem statement.


What do I mean by precise and doable?


1. . Delimit it in space and time. OK, so you want to find out the reasons for malnutrition in the Third World. Were you thinking Latin America or Africa. Or South East Asia? Brazil or Bolivia, Tanzania or Ivory Coast? If your investigation is semi serious, you'd better know the answer to that, and of course it can't be all of them That's physically impossible for one investigator, or even a team of investigators to take on. This wide type of problem may be possible if you're doing a very broad view of overall trends and patterns, but be careful about how you select the space you'll cover. Don't leave it to the imagination. And select only what you'll be able to cover. How about, the causes of malnutrition in Bolivia. As for time, it's generally assumed that you're talking about the present, but remember that you could take a slice in time from the past. It's good to be sure that you know when you're talking about. If you have nutrition data from 1975, does that fall within your boundary? What about 1875 or 1575? Be clear about these issues.


2. Be careful with non-measurable variables. Your problem will implicitly contain variables that you're going to measure. In this case they would be nutrition and mortality. Pretty straight forward, as both of them are easily measurable. However, on occasion you'll find yourself wanting to use variable that are non-measurable. For instance, what about this: "What effect does increased salary have on worker motivation?". Interesting problem. However, how exactly are we going to measure worker motivation? Before taking on such a problem, it's important to make sure that you can figure out a reasonable way to approximate motivation (for instance by using similar measurable indicators such as sick days taken, assistance at non-mandatory functions, etc.)


3. Select areas that fit within your skill range. I'd love to study radio emissions from black holes, but I don't have any real knowledge of the field. The last thing you want to be doing in an investigation is trying to learn new skills on the fly. If you're doing a thesis project, select a problem that plays to your strengths and your existing knowledge base. The thrill of something really innovative and new that challenges you is the siren song that sinks many investigations. It's not a matter of not challenging yourself - it's a matter of challenging yourself with the resolution of the unknown and not with spending weeks trying to learn the skills you'll need just to analyze the problem.


4. Revise to fit within you logistic limitations. You have a limited amount of time and money. Everyone does. Make sure that it is feasible for you to undertake your study. In my experience, the number one project killer of all time is over extension. Problems have a way of blowing way out of proportion. Select a simple, clear statement that you have the time and budget to attack. If it proves to be too easy (doubtful) you can always add new wrinkles as you go. However, having a thesis or other investigation accepted as is, and, then struggling to cover all the bases is a frustrating experience.


5. Definitions. Make sure that every phrase and word within your problem statement is either painfully clear and obvious or clearly defined. You don't necessarily have to put it in the problem statement itself, but the words must be both clear to you and to anyone who will review your project. This sounds obvious, but it isn't. For instance, if you say, "What are the causes of rural poverty in Bolivia?" then you'd better know precisely what you mean by poverty and rural. What is the cut of line for poverty? If the Bolivian average salary is $600 per year, then does someone who makes $1200 a qualify as poor in your study? Is a person who lives on the outskirts of Dubuque Iowa rural or urban or semi rural? These issues can cause you lots of trouble. There are no "right" answers, but you'd better know how your study will define "poverty" and "rural".



You'll notice two recurring themes throughout this article that sum up the two main considerations that you need to take when selecting a problem:


1. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

2. Be excruciatingly clear.


This may sound like simple advice, but invariably my students and coworkers fail at these two basic requirements. The reasons are simple - it's HARD to truly be concrete about a concept. When we actually try to pin down the precise limits and definitions it can be hard. But believe me, if you don't do this correctly, your project will be 10 times harder.