Writing a research paper is not an easy task. However, the most challenging thing here is to start writing. If a teacher has not assigned a specific topic to a student, then he/she must choose the idea for their project by themselves. This complicated process can take a lot of time.
The choice of theme based on the framework of the subject
The first step one needs to take when choosing an issue is to analyze how he/she could apply the knowledge already gained. Feel free to ask the teacher as many questions as possible in order to understand exactly what aspects one needs to highlight in work. Besides, this approach will help everyone not to waste time and not to write about things not related to the paper.
If you’ve just started to study subjects under a specific program and you are sure that in the end, you’ll need to write a research paper, then think about choosing a matter right now. This way, you’ll have much more time to plan and organize writing.
Brainstorm on topic selection
As soon as an applicant decides to choose the matter among several ideas, one of the best options is to use a brainstorming session. This tool has long established itself among all students studying in a college or high school. During the brainstorming session, you’ll need to record all the keywords and phrases related to the subject you’re studying.
It’s better if a scholar writes these words on a list. Thus, the ideas can look not only compact but also more understandable. After the list seems ready, a learner needs to find all the logical patterns and accordingly distribute the ideas into separate groups.
This way, an undergraduate can find ideas that he/she considers worthy of exploring much faster. Based on these ideas, one can quickly formulate own topics.
How to make the right choice among many exciting plans for research
Obviously, during the brainstorming session, you may find that you’ll get several rather interesting ideas at once. Nevertheless, the research is written on one specific theme, and here it’s imperative to make the right choice. The final assessment depends on how much your issue will be interesting not only to you but also to the readership. Therefore, let’s try to consider various scenarios in which the choice between several topics is a crucial step.
Choose something easy to understand
If you have a list that contains two or more exciting ideas for the question, then select the one in which you are more proficient. In this case, you’ll stay more motivated to conduct an in-depth study of the matter and cover all the details. Research work is a very voluminous project, so it’s likely that at one point or another, you’ll get tired of writing. That’s why the topic should be fascinating and understandable for an undergraduate so that one can finish the job.
Base the choice of a theme on personal experience
If an undergraduate partially studied the subject that he/she wants to describe in a research problem, this means that one already has minimal experience. Thus, a learner knows exactly what concepts and terminologies he/she will encounter. This, in turn, will help one significantly speed up the process of finding sources of information and conducting research.
Verify your reference information
Before deciding on a specific problem, try to study what sources of reference information can help you in the future. To do this, you can go to the online versions of Encyclopedia Britannica and Encyclopedia Americana and study your theme.
Thanks to reference sources of information, you’ll be able to understand better what other topics your work may be related to, and it’s possible to get some information from there. Besides, if the item you have chosen appears debatable in these sources, you can easily find a list of all the keywords that will help you with this.
Find information sources in advance
Many students often fall into the trap. Choosing a matter, they don’t understand whether they can find enough sources of information. Some topics seem more deeply covered in various scientific sources. It goes without saying that writing such issues is much easier and more enjoyable.
However, there exist topics on which a minimal amount of research has been carried out, and accordingly, it will be rather tricky for you to refer to the results of such works. Therefore, before deciding on a specific topic, make sure that you can find the required number of already published materials that include:
- Books;
- Public scientific journals;
- Newspaper articles;
- Laboratory research;
- Directories and encyclopedias and so on.
Concentration on research paper
Remember that as soon as you start choosing a theme, you will entirely concentrate on writing your research paper. Therefore, carefully study your initial idea. Concentration on a research topic in the early stages of writing work remains significant.
Thus, you can significantly narrow or expand your focus on the information you need to study. And this, in turn, will make the process of writing paper more manageable.
Remember also to use keywords to collect as much information as possible from various sources. Remember that creating a strong and understandable thesis is a prerequisite for writing good work. Do not forget that in this case, the argument should be clear not only to you as the author of the study, but also to the readership who will evaluate your work.
