Research Topic

Learning Objectives
•define and characterize research
topics;
•identify different sources of research
topics;
•choose a suitable research topic for
quantitative research.
Solve the riddle
What is something HOT,
keeps on burning, cannot be
put out with water, but
people really like to hold it?
TOPIC
•Research topi“the issue
leading to the need for the
research” (Creswell, 2014)
•c
Research Topic
• sets the direction of a research project
• basis for:
formulating the research questions
identifying literature, that should be narrowed
down
narrowing down appropriate theories and
frameworks
planning for data collection and analysis
Sources of Potential Research Topics
• Personal or professional experiences
topics that are influenced by the individual’s perspective, inclinations, and values
• Scholarly texts
provide comprehensive and systematic coverage of a subject matter; highly
reputable
Examples: journal articles, books, research papers, documents written by
academic, professionals, and research organizations
• Nonscholarly texts
provide information on current affairs and political, social, economic, or cultural
issues.
Examples: newspapers, magazines, radio, television, Internet
Finding a research topic from scholarly articles
(Johnson and Reynolds, 2012)
• find an assertion or statement in the conclusion that you believe
to be incorrect. Look for empirical evidence to assess the
statement, or examine the evidence used by the author of the
research article to see if any mistakes were made that could have
affected the conclusion
• find two studies that have conflicting conclusions. Try to explain
or reconcile the conflict. Test conflicting explanations by
applying them to different cases or data
• take a theory or general explanation for certain behaviour and
apply it to a new situation
Reviewing multiple sources may
lead researchers to:
find knowledge gaps that need to be
studied
validate the findings of a particular study
update a particular study
General guideline for knowing a
quantitative research topic
• Topics oriented toward determining the
measurable effects or impacts of something
• Topics that predict or forecast a measurable
attribute
• Topics that involve financial, economic, or
other numerical data
Research topics should satisfy the following
criteria
1. They should pose a question that is
relevant to the real world.
2. They should make a specific contribution
to the scholarly literature by adding to
people’s collective understanding of the
world through scientific explanation.