Dissertation Help - Advice on choosing a dissertation topic

Why is my dissertation topic important?

If there is one word you should keep in mind when selecting a dissertation topic it is originality. The main aspect of your writing that an academic committee will focus on is how your dissertation topic will add to the body of work on the subject so you need to work hard to make it clear that the dissertation topic you have chosen is original, interesting and important.

A dissertation, like a thesis, will normally be written for the award of a higher degree, like a Masters of a Ph.D., and will need to be accepted as research worthy of further investigation so choosing a dissertation topic is very important and might take months or even years to develop, don’t expect it to happen overnight.

How should I begin to think about my dissertation topic?

A very good way of beginning is to think about what interested you during your previous study as an undergraduate. A dissertation is like a thesis in that it is an extended body of thought, so think about any areas that you felt were of particular interest to you and that you felt you would have liked to have pursued further. This will give you an ideal beginning for choosing your dissertation topic.

In addition, there may have been areas that were covered in your studies where you noticed that a gap was left unfilled and/or questions left unanswered: your dissertation topic can be the means of addressing these. This is another ideal way to select a dissertation topic because you have noticed an absence in the work that has already been done in this area and are hoping to prove that your work can resolve it.
The advantage with both of these methods is that you will have already begun to think about the area which both of these suggestions came from and be aware of the fact that to the best of your knowledge current research has not embraced it. These are both very good reasons for selecting a dissertation topic, especially since the emphasis in both is on originality.

How do I know that my dissertation topic is original?

If you have used the methods outlined above to select your dissertation topic then you have already discovered a niche that you believe your research could fill. Ensuring that your work is original is linked to this. Only by researching an area of study thoroughly can you discover:

• Whether your work is original
• The nature of its textual validity.

When you think you have isolated an area that needs further research, you should discuss the idea with your supervisor. Usually only senior lecturers are appointed as supervisors and therefore they will have extensive research experience. This makes them ideal ‘sounding boards’ for any ideas you might have for your dissertation topic.
A supervisor will know straight away if the area you are proposing for your dissertation topic is original and whether it is likely to be one that will appeal to a research committee. As such, the contribution of your supervisor is immeasurable both at this early stage and throughout researching your dissertation topic.

What’s next in choosing my dissertation topic?

Once you have established, as far as possible at this early stage, that the area you are proposing to research in your dissertation topic is original, you need to pursue your reading further to establish the textual placing and validity of your dissertation topic.

As stated earlier, you will have done a considerable amount of reading during your undergraduate years which has suggested the dissertation topic to you. Now you need to build on this foundation moving on from established texts to newer works, especially journals; you should keep abreast of the most up to date thinking on the topic of your choice, in order to ensure the originality of your work and that you have not been pre-empted by another academic.
Remember that it is always important to note down the author, title and publication details of any sources used, in the referencing style required by your college or university as this will help you to remember the details later when you are compiling your references and/or bibliography. It also prevents accidental plagiarism.

What other ways are there of selecting a dissertation topic?

If you have not found an area that needs further development in your earlier work or you have discovered that the area has already been covered in the work of another academic, then you will have to re-think. This can be a little disheartening, especially if you thought you were on to something really original and interesting.

However, don’t give up on your idea as it may be that simply by switching the emphasis of a particular dissertation topic, you can completely change the central thinking of the thesis statement and therefore maintain originality. An example of this would be to alter the angle of vision in your perspective on your chosen dissertation topic. To take a rather simplistic instance, think how different the story of Cinderella would be if it were told from the point of view of an ugly sister – it would be a very different story, wouldn’t it? Now, no-one is suggesting that you take Cinderella as a dissertation topic (anyway, it has already been done by Sigmund Freud who used fairy tales in his early work on psychoanalysis) but this does show you how simply by looking at a topic in a different way you can completely change its substance.

So, if you do find that a dissertation topic you have selected has been looked at by someone else, jot down other ways of looking at the topic. Investigate whether or not there is an angle that you could take which will make it original, textually valid and interesting and that will make your dissertation topic worthy of further research and as a contribution to the body of knowledge into which your dissertation topic is intended to fit. If you follow this advice, then your dissertation topic should evolve naturally: ‘good luck’!

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