Research Topic Bootcamp: How to Find a Research Topic
- Description
- Curriculum
- FAQ
- Reviews
Whether you’re a first-time researcher, just starting out and feeling a little overwhelmed by the topic ideation process – or you’re already knee-deep in the writing process but need a little guidance to ensure you’re on the right path – this short course is for you.
Designed and presented by the award-winning team of research specialists at Grad Coach, this course provides you with a step-by-step practical guide to help develop a high-quality research topic for your dissertation, thesis or research paper. Together, we’ll work through our tried and trusted topic ideation process, so that you can see exactly what it takes to find the perfect topic. Along the way, you can test your understanding with interactive pop quizzes and ask questions about each lesson as you work through the course.
This online course is designed for both undergrad and postgrad students who are new to the academic research process. You don’t need to have any prior research experience, as we unpack each concept from the ground up. While this course is geared towards research within the sciences (especially the social sciences), the principles and concepts we’ll cover apply to the vast majority of research areas.
Within the course, you can use the carefully designed practical exercises to identify potential topics as you work through the course. In other words, by the end of the course, you won’t just have a certificate – you’ll have a foundation for your own research topic. All that said, if you’d prefer to just focus on specific lessons, you’re most welcome to do so, as each lesson works perfectly well on a standalone basis.
But it doesn’t stop there. By joining the course, you’ll get full, unrestricted access to our meaty collection of additional resources. This includes dissertation and thesis templates, hours upon hours of additional video lessons and webinars, as well as practical tools and resources.
In short, this course gives you everything you need to start developing your research topic.
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Welcome to Topic Ideation Bootcamp!This course helps to find, refine, and effectively communicate a solid research topic for academic projects. You'll learn terminology, explore efficient steps for topic ideation, and discover techniques to select and present the best research ideas, all peppered with practical examples and additional resources. The course is intended to streamline the research journey.
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Housekeeping/basics
In this lesson, we cover essential housekeeping tips. You'll learn how the lessons are structured for optimal understanding, the flexibility of accessing content on-demand, and how to use interactive features like pop quizzes and the comments section. Also, discover the wealth of resources available, including a Resource Master List and the Grad Coach blog, to supplement your learning journey.
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Resource master list (PDF)The Resource Master List is where you'll find links to all the resources mentioned throughout this course.
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Section Overview
In this section, we clarify what a research topic entails and delve into its core elements like the research gap, problem, aim, and question. This foundational knowledge is crucial for understanding the rest of the course and ensuring we're all aligned in our terminology to build a strong base for your research topic.
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What exactly is a research topic?
In this lesson, we define a research topic and its crucial components: a research gap, problem, aim, and question(s). We also focus on the concept of a research gap as an under-explored area, the research problem as a specific challenge within this gap, and the research aim and questions as the overarching goal and driving inquiries of your study.
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Test your understanding -
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The research gap
In this lesson, we focus on the crucial concept of a research gap, an essential element of a strong research topic. We explore different types of research gaps and also discuss techniques for identifying current research gaps, combining literature review, critical thinking, and creativity. This is a great start to understanding how to find a meaningful research gap for your project.
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Test your understanding
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The research problem
In this lesson, we look at the second key element of a solid research topic - the research problem. It's crucial to not only understand what makes a good research problem but also to articulate it clearly, as it sets the direction for your study. We look at examples from different fields, understand what makes a strong research problem, and learn how to identify one within your chosen research gap. We dive deeper into how to pinpoint and define a compelling research problem for your study.
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Test your understanding
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The research aims and questions
In this lesson, we focus on the final two elements of a well-constructed research topic: the research aim and the research question. We look at examples to illustrate how research aims and questions work together, and discuss their critical role in shaping your study's methodology, literature review, data collection, and analysis. You'll learn about these vital components and learn how to articulate them clearly for your research project.
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Test your understanding
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Bringing it all together
In this section, we laid the groundwork for understanding the components of a research topic, covering research gaps, problems, aims, and questions. Although it might seem overwhelming now, remember you're just building a foundation of terminology to prepare you for what's ahead. We're now ready to move on to the practical steps of finding and defining these elements.
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Test your understanding
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Practical exercise
It's practice time!
You can access the practical exercise for this section below. This is completely optional, but we highly recommend it.
Please note that this Google Document is read-only, so you cannot edit it. However, you can download it or make a copy if you wish :)
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Section overview
In this section we explore essential considerations before diving into your research topic hunt. We start by understanding constraints from your university's policies, examine your own resource limits, and identify your broader research interests. This proactive approach will save you time and steer you away from unfeasible ideas, setting you up for a successful and focused topic search.
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Institutional requirements
In this lesson, we discuss essential university-specific requirements you should consider before deciding on your research topic. Grasping these requirements will help you avoid wasting time on unsuitable topics and streamline your research process.
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Test your understanding
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Auditing your resources
In this lesson, we examine the constraints that could impact your choice of research topic. Firstly, assess your access to resources. Next, consider access to samples. Your data analysis capabilities also play a crucial role. Finally, don't overlook the classic constraints: time and money. If you consider these constraints, you'll be in a better position to select a research topic that’s not only academically sound but also practical and achievable.
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Test your understanding
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Auditing your interests
In this lesson we explore your research interests. First, think about your coursework. Next, consider your future career ambitions. Finally, engage in conversations with professors or professionals in your field.
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Test your understanding
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Practical exercise
It's practice time!
You can access the practical exercise for this section below. This is completely optional, but we highly recommend it.
Please note that this Google Document is read-only, so you cannot edit it. However, you can download it or make a copy if you wish :)
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Section overview
In this section we delve into the practical strategies for finding high-quality, current research topic ideas. We explore a range of techniques for uncovering current research gaps, ensuring that your chosen topic is both relevant and valuable in your field of study.
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Skimming past dissertations & theses
In this lesson we look at a simple yet powerful technique for finding research topics: reviewing past dissertations and theses from your specific degree programme. This provides a fantastic starting point for your topic ideation journey.
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Test your understanding
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Leveraging the FRIN section of journal articles
In this lesson, we focus on identifying research gaps by looking at current journal articles, an invaluable resource for your study. If you consider current journal articles, you can identify meaningful research gaps that are backed by the latest literature.
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Test your understanding
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Investigating supervisor interests & publications
In this lesson, we explore a topic ideation technique that starts from a different perspective – using the research interests of your supervisor or university. Leveraging the interests of your supervisor or university can provide a solid starting point for your research topic.
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Test your understanding
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Apps and tools to help fast-track the process
In this lesson, we explore various tools and services that can help to accelerate the topic ideation process for your research. Firstly, there's Consensus, an AI-powered research search engine. Another tool is Petal, which enables interaction with journal articles in a chat-style format. Litmaps is a visualisation tool that shows the connections between research articles related to your keywords. Lastly, is reference management software. These tools should complement, not replace, your own research and verification efforts.
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Test your understanding
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Moving from research gaps to research topics
In this lesson, we bridge the gap between identifying research gaps and formulating potential research topics. This involves translating each gap into a defined research problem, followed by setting a research aim and crafting research questions. Turning research gaps into topics means you can craft clear research problems, aims, and questions for each gap.
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Test your understanding
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Evaluating potential topics
In this lesson we focus on evaluating potential research topics systematically. We introduce a rigorous set of criteria to help you assess each topic effectively. This decision-making process is key to progressing confidently into your research project.
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Test your understanding
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Practical exercise
It's practice time!
You can access the practical exercise for this section below. This is completely optional, but we highly recommend it.
Please note that this Google Document is read-only, so you cannot edit it. However, you can download it or make a copy if you wish :)
