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Choosing a strong research topic is hard. However, it does not have to be. In this article, I will show you three simple but effective steps. They will help you choose the right research topic. We will go through them in order.
These steps work even if you have zero idea of your topic right now. Likewise, they work if you already have a fairly good idea. In that case, you may only need to narrow your focus. That is why step three is the most important one.
Don’t Skip Steps One and Two
Please do not skip steps one and two. Still, step three matters most. It can take your paper or thesis to a much higher level. As a result, it can help you get published in really good journals.
Three Components of a High-Impact Research Topic
A high-impact topic has three simple components. Together, they can lead you to top journals. I will break down each one below. In addition, I will share a fourth component at the end. Many people overlook it. However, you need it if you want to publish three or more papers every year.
The three components are:
- The research gap
- Insights from other disciplines
- Professional and personal experience
The research gap is the fundamental one. Even so, many people get it wrong. Others do not know how to find it. Yet you must get it right. Without it, you do not have a topic at all.
Most researchers start here. Unfortunately, about 90% of them also finish here. Therefore, if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need the other two elements as well.
By the way, these materials come from my paid program, Research Paper Mastery. Would you like to see them too? If so, schedule a free one-to-one call. We will discuss your challenges. Then we can see whether the program is a good fit for you.
Now, let’s look at the first component.
Step 1: Find a Research Gap for Your Research Topic
The research gap is your academic justification. In other words, it explains why your research topic is novel. It also explains why your work deserves a place in a good journal.
There are four types of research gaps:
- Lack of research: not enough studies have been conducted.
- Controversy: the field lacks consensus or understanding on an issue.
- Limitations: previous studies have weaknesses.
- Practical problems: your discipline has problems that need solving.
Your study tries to solve one of these gaps. Ideally, you should combine more than one. As a result, the novelty of your work becomes stronger.
How Do You Find a Research Gap?
The answer is simple. Read the literature. Then look for patterns in the four types above. However, you must also take effective notes.
Here is an easy method. Create a simple table in Word or Excel. Suppose you focus on the limitations of previous studies. First, write down the limitation, such as a small sample size. Next, add an example study. Be specific. For instance, note that the study had only 10 participants, and cite it.
Finally, add a suggestion. What should be done instead? Your study aims to solve this limitation. Therefore, it makes sense to pair each limitation with a suggestion. Repeat this for every type of research gap.
Step 2: Use Insights From Other Fields
The second element is insights from other fields. Many researchers focus on an increasingly narrow area. PhD students do this too, and I am guilty of it myself. As a result, we end up knowing everything about nothing.
Then we cannot see beyond our narrow specialism. It is like being locked in a box. Consequently, we follow the crowd. We work on what everyone else in the field works on. In turn, we miss out on really cool topics and gaps that could take us far.
So, think outside the box. See what is happening in other fields. Then combine that knowledge to find new topics in your own field.
Here is an example. A Chinese pharmaceutical chemist discovered a drug called artemisinin. It has been used to treat 200 million malaria patients. How did she find it? She studied the history of traditional Chinese medicine.
That is exactly why you should get out of the box. Open your mind to other fields. Then look for topics that combine their insights.
How Can You Do This?
First, read journal papers from other disciplines. However, you may not have time. In that case, listen to podcasts. Many of them share scientific insights from other fields. They are also pleasant, engaging, and motivating.
Books help too. I love popular science books from different disciplines. In fact, some of my best insights into new topics came from books on other subjects.
Step 3: Use Personal and Professional Experience
The third element is personal and professional experience. Many people believe that more academic experience is always better. In reality, that is not true. If you only learn about one small field, you become detached from the world outside academia.
Some of my best topics came from practical insights. In fact, so did my most-cited papers. These insights came from working in the field myself. They also came from hearing the problems that practitioners face.
Sadly, most researchers never talk to practitioners. They stay locked in the ivory tower of the university. Meanwhile, practitioners work in a different universe. The two groups rarely interact. This creates a problem. Researchers may work on one thing, while practitioners struggle with something else.
Therefore, use your own personal or professional experience. Alternatively, talk to professionals outside academia. Ask what they struggle with. You will be surprised how many insights you gain.
Combine All Three Elements in Your Research Topic
To recap, a high-impact topic combines the research gap, insights from other disciplines, and professional and personal experience. Where these three intersect, high-impact research topics hang out and go for coffee. Or, well, whatever they do in their free time.
Of course, you can have a good topic with just one element. However, if you want something truly groundbreaking, combine all three.
The Fourth Element: Research Topic Feasibility
I promised you a fourth element. Many people overlook it. It is feasibility. If you want to publish several papers in good journals, you must check how feasible your topic is.
You may find an amazing topic. Yet it may be almost impossible to investigate. There are several possible reasons:
- Skills: you can learn them. However, this may take a very long time.
- Equipment: a university may provide it, or you may buy it for your lab. Still, that takes time too.
- Knowledge: you can gain it by reading more papers. Again, this takes a long time.
- Financial resources: you may lack the money or materials you need.
Therefore, you need a balance between an amazing topic and a feasible one. Otherwise, you may study an amazing research topic for two years and publish only one paper. Granted, that paper may be great.
Now, consider a different choice. Rate feasibility on a scale from one to ten. One means impossible. Ten means very feasible. Pick a good topic, say 8 out of 10, that also scores a seven or an eight on feasibility.
As a result, you will research it relatively quickly. Then, in the next year, you can easily publish three papers or more. You might even publish five. That is the balance you need. In short, this fourth element is key to publishing in high-impact journals regularly.
