SOCI2020 Research Skills

ISSUES IN CHOOSING A RESEARCH TOPIC –

DISSERTATION CANDIDATE STUDENTS TALK

Dr. Michelle Cowley

Applied Social Sciences
University of Southampton
 Overview

 Choosing a research topic

 What to do if you cannot think of an idea
 Narrowing the focus of your research topic
 Reviewing the literature
 Other issues to consider
 Framing your research question/aim
 Starting a research notebook

See Blaxter et al. (2010)

 Choosing a research topic

 Relevance to your Social Science pathway

 Plan ahead: How will this research topic
be relevant to your career?
 How much choice do you have?
 Your motivation and interest
 What loose ends have you discovered in the reading
you have done over the past two years?
 Plan ahead

 Think about where your career may be taking you

 What is the time-line of your research?
 Does your topic and working title allow you the time
you need EVEN WHEN there are unanticipated
setbacks?
 How much choice do you have?

 Research in the ‘real world’… Plan well

 The only time in your life when it is all up to you
(given feasibility constraints) without pressure of
publication
 So be selfish and choose the most interesting topic
you can!
 Motivation

 Your research should hold your interest even when

it is not going as smoothly as you had planned
 You should find yourself drawn to news reports
related to your project
 Deeper levels of processing and insight when you
are motivated.
 Loose ends in the literature

 Key debates relevant to your degree and career

pathway
 Key thinkers and their critics
 A comparison of two alternative theories
 Room for methodological improvement or
innovation
 What to do if you cannot think of an idea?
 Is there a particular methodology that you would like to
develop some skill in?
 What are your strong points:
o working with numbers,
o talking to people,
o detailed note taking
o analytical skills?

 Look at previous dissertations. Flick to indicated future

research questions
 Relate a topic to your own interest: sports, volunteer
work (this would help to access to a special population!)
 Reviewing the literature

 Journal articles, research reports, edited chapters, or

theses
 Check their bibliography and build from there
 Copious notes on key theorists and methodologies
 Indicated future directions

See Jesson et al. (2011)

 Framing your research question/aim

 From Hypotheses to Hippopotamuses!

 Brainstorm and write down as many
questions/aims as you can
 Repeat this every few days over this week and next
 Review your questions and see if any appear to
look like research questions/aims
 Make your question/aim succinct and concise
 Starting a research notebook

 Take it everywhere. You never know when a good

idea may ‘pop’ into your head
 Time management
 Recalling the methodological difficulties you
encountered
 Recalling ideas you decided against for future
research in discussion chapter
 Issues to always keep in mind

 Ethics and Feasibility

 Resources
 Own knowledge (e.g. advanced
statistics)
 Any questions?
 Social Research Methods – Reading List

Key Methodology Authors: Useful Texts:

Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods (5th

Ed.). UK: Oxford University Press

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2015). Business Research

Methods (4th Ed.). UK: Oxford University Press

Silverman, D. (2016). Qualitative Research (4th

Ed.). London: Sage

Jesson, J. K., Matheson, L., & Lacey, F. M. (2011).

Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and
Systematic Techniques. London: Sage

Palgrave Study Skills Series:

Pears, R., Shields, G. (2016). Cite Them Right:
The Essential Referencing Guide. UK: Macmillan
Education