CHOOSING GOOD
PROJECT TOPICS AND DEVELOPING TIPS
The educational curriculum states that the end goal is to be granted a degree after the
graduation. Before this, there is a need for students to carry out research in
their field of studies. Consequently, this is done at the final year level in all
university institutions. A considerable number of final year students
has challenges in regards to choosing their project topics.
This is because they lack knowledge on the rudiments of picking a decent
research project topic with the end goal, such that most students score
terrible marks at the end of it or even have to change the project topic
halfway through. This article is therefore targeted at helping final year
students to know the basics in regards to choosing and developing their final year project topics.
A research work is an essay that presents
the results of a writer’s (students) investigation of a particular topic in
print, electronic, or multimedia format. The skills involved—finding,
evaluating, and assimilating the ideas of other writers—are essential in any
field of study. They will also be useful to you in your career. Most of the
writing you do on the job, especially if you are in management, it requires you
to express in your own words the facts, opinions, and ideas of others.
Writing a research project work follows the same process as other kinds of writing, from planning through drafting to revising. The difference is that instead of relying exclusively on what you already know about a topic, you include source material—facts, data, knowledge, or opinions of other writers—to support your thesis. This section explains the different kinds of source material you can choose from and tells you the strengths and weaknesses of each. See How to Summarize, Paraphrase, and Quote from Sources on this article for information on how to integrate into your paper the information you have found.
Writing a research project work follows the same process as other kinds of writing, from planning through drafting to revising. The difference is that instead of relying exclusively on what you already know about a topic, you include source material—facts, data, knowledge, or opinions of other writers—to support your thesis. This section explains the different kinds of source material you can choose from and tells you the strengths and weaknesses of each. See How to Summarize, Paraphrase, and Quote from Sources on this article for information on how to integrate into your paper the information you have found.
A research project work is not simply a
collection of what other people have said about a subject. It is your
responsibility to shape and control the discussion, to make sure that what you
include from your sources is interesting and relevant to your thesis, and to
comment on its validity or significance. It is your project, your thesis, your key ideas. Ideas from other writers should
be included as support for your topic sentences.
One of the challenges of writing a research project work is differentiating between your ideas and those you took from sources. Readers cannot hear the different “speakers,” so you have to indicate who said what. To separate your sources from your own ideas, research papers require documentation—a system of acknowledging source materials. Research works are usually longer than essays, and the planning process is more complex. For these reasons, the time you are given to complete a research assignment is usually longer than the time allowed for an essay. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can put the assignment off for a few weeks. You will need all the time you’ve been given to find the sources you need, decide what you want to say, and then draft, revise, and polish your paper. Supervisors assign research papers so that they can assess not only your research skills but also your writing skills.
One of the challenges of writing a research project work is differentiating between your ideas and those you took from sources. Readers cannot hear the different “speakers,” so you have to indicate who said what. To separate your sources from your own ideas, research papers require documentation—a system of acknowledging source materials. Research works are usually longer than essays, and the planning process is more complex. For these reasons, the time you are given to complete a research assignment is usually longer than the time allowed for an essay. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can put the assignment off for a few weeks. You will need all the time you’ve been given to find the sources you need, decide what you want to say, and then draft, revise, and polish your paper. Supervisors assign research papers so that they can assess not only your research skills but also your writing skills.
STEPS IN
CHOOSING PROJECT
TOPICS
To choose a good research topic and make the
procedure less frustrating, we recommend the accompanying method for the
determination of the research project works:
1. Decide on a useful zone or
zones of essential interest, for example, accounting,
banking
and finance, business
administration, computer
science, economics,
education, marketing, mass communication
et cetera.
2. Next, pick a sub-region from
the practical territory. For example, a student who has an interest in human
resources may pick a research topic on the hospital working environment or
organizational behavior
3. Look for the possible research
topic in that sub-region.
4. Familiarize yourself with the
subject matter relating to the proposed project topic idea.
5. Evaluate any provisional topic
you pick precisely and fundamentally. A student ought to have not less than
three speculative topics in. He ought to pick the topic which is most alluring
to him or her among alternate topics having analyzed the upsides and downsides
of every one of the case study.
6. Finally, present the chosen
topics to the supervisor for facilitating discourse, clarifications, and
elaborations if it requires.
CRITERIA FOR
CHOOSING PROJECT TOPICS
It is plainly making no sense to embark on a case
study you know almost nothing or nothing about. Though, it can obviously
be contended that the student can acquaint himself with the project topic idea
over the span of the investigation or study. But there are somewhere around two
issues with this: firstly, he/she might not be able to defend it before the
supervisor. Secondly, he/she may discover later that the research topic is more
troublesome than foreseen or that the required research project materials are
not accessible. He could even lose interest in the research work because of any
of these unexpected challenges. The accompanying criteria should along these
lines be borne in the mind of the students:
INTEREST IN
THE PROJECT TOPIC
Numerous students have amidst their research,
surrendered or abandon their research project topic for another one since they
didn't have enough managing interest for it, in the first instance. For a few,
they may have chosen it since it was proposed by the supervisor or some different
people they couldn't state too. They may have felt that dismissing the project
topic at that point would have added up to being ungrateful on their part which
could be viewed as an affront to the supervisor. Whichever way, it is perilous
to take a project topic you are not so much inspired by in light of the fact
that when it gets extreme, your interest for the project topic is the thing
that will support you more than some other things. One of the most important
parts of doing a research work is choosing a topic. By choosing wisely, you can
ensure that your research will go smoothly and that you will enjoy doing it
when choosing a topic that you care about. A topic is a broad area of interest,
such as AfricanAmerican history or animal behavior. One way to approach the
search for a research topic is first to choose a general area of interest and
then to focus on some part of it. Make sure that you have a real reason for
wanting to explore the topic. Often the best project topics
for research works are ones that are related to your own life or to the lives
of people you know. If you are already keeping a “writing ideas” list in your
journal or in your writing portfolio, you can refer to that list for possible
topics. If you are not regularly listing your writing ideas, you might consider
starting to do so now.
RESEARCHABLE
PROJECT TOPIC
What makes a project topic researchable is the
point at which you can research solid information to answer the research questions.
A project topic that is researchable can be known to utilize available and
scientific tools and techniques. Likewise, a research work might be
un-researchable not on the grounds that the pertinent information doesn't
exist, but rather in light of the fact that the student doesn't approach them. Your first step in writing a research work is the same as
your first step in any writing task: select a suitable topic, preferably one
you are convesant with. Whether you are assigned a topic or choose your own,
don’t rush off to the library or log onto the Internet right away. A little
preparation up front will save you a lot of time and possibly much grief later
on.
First of all, if you’re not sure of what your supervisor expects from you, clarify what is required of you.
First of all, if you’re not sure of what your supervisor expects from you, clarify what is required of you.
Next, consider what
approach you might take in presenting your topic. Does it lend itself to a
comparison? Process? Cause or effect? If the topic is assigned, often the
wording of the research will suggest how your supervisor wants you to develop
it. Deciding up front what kind of paper you are going to write will save you
hours of work, both in the library and at your desk.
When you’ve decided, at least tentatively, on the approach you’re going to take, you are ready to focus on the kind of information you need to look for in your research. For example, if you’ve been asked to evaluate a contemporary Canadian novel, you won’t waste time discussing the history of the novel or its development since 1950. You can restrict your investigation to sources that contain information relevant to your specific subject.
Once you have an idea of the kind of information you need in order to develop your topic, it’s time to find the best sources you can.
When you’ve decided, at least tentatively, on the approach you’re going to take, you are ready to focus on the kind of information you need to look for in your research. For example, if you’ve been asked to evaluate a contemporary Canadian novel, you won’t waste time discussing the history of the novel or its development since 1950. You can restrict your investigation to sources that contain information relevant to your specific subject.
Once you have an idea of the kind of information you need in order to develop your topic, it’s time to find the best sources you can.
FEASIBILITY OF STUDY
The possibility of the final year project alludes
to what it will take the student to finish the research topic as far as the
expense of the final year project, the monetary use, and the time allotment for
the final year research. Thusly, it is vital that the student from the
beginning, gauge that he has everything necessary to finish the research
project regarding fund and research materials, and furthermore that he will
have the capacity to finish the final year research inside the time period
allotted for it. In the event that the response to this is negative, at that
point he should forsake the project topic before setting out on it.
AVOID
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s ideas as your own. It’s
a form of stealing (the word comes from the Latin word plagiarius, which means “kidnapper”). There have been
famous cases of respected journalists and academics who have been accused of
plagiarizing the articles or books they have written. Suspected plagiarists who
are found guilty often lose their jobs. Sometimes the accusation alone is
enough to compromise an author’s reputation and thus prevent him or her from
continuing to work as a scholar or writer.
Students who copy essays or parts of essays from source material, download them from the Internet, or pay someone else to write them are cheating. And, in so doing, they commit a serious academic offence. Sometimes, however, academic plagiarism is accidental. It can result from careless note-taking or an incomplete understanding of the conventions of documentation. It is not necessary to identify the sources of common knowledge (e.g., Margaret Atwood is one of Canada’s best-known authors; British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province) or proverbial sayings (e.g., Love is blind), but when you are not sure whether to cite a source, it’s wise to err on the side of caution and provide documentation. Statistics should always be cited because the meaning of numbers tends to change, depending on who is using them and for what purpose.
If, after you have finished your first draft, you are not sure which ideas need documenting and which don’t, take your research notes and your outline to your supervisor and ask. It’s better to ask before submitting a paper than to try to explain a problem afterward. Asking saves you potential embarrassment as well as time.
Students who copy essays or parts of essays from source material, download them from the Internet, or pay someone else to write them are cheating. And, in so doing, they commit a serious academic offence. Sometimes, however, academic plagiarism is accidental. It can result from careless note-taking or an incomplete understanding of the conventions of documentation. It is not necessary to identify the sources of common knowledge (e.g., Margaret Atwood is one of Canada’s best-known authors; British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province) or proverbial sayings (e.g., Love is blind), but when you are not sure whether to cite a source, it’s wise to err on the side of caution and provide documentation. Statistics should always be cited because the meaning of numbers tends to change, depending on who is using them and for what purpose.
If, after you have finished your first draft, you are not sure which ideas need documenting and which don’t, take your research notes and your outline to your supervisor and ask. It’s better to ask before submitting a paper than to try to explain a problem afterward. Asking saves you potential embarrassment as well as time.
TIPS ON
WRITING A RESEARCH WORK
- Even
though your supervisor may be your only reader, think of your potential
audience as the other students who are taking the course with you, those
who took it in recent years, and those who will take it in the near
future. This way, you can count on a certain amount of shared knowledge.
For a course in economics, for example, you can assume your audience knows
what the Phillips curve relationship is; a definition would be
superfluous. For a course in literature, you won’t need to inform your
readers that Jonathan Swift was an 18th-century satirist. Think of your
readers as colleagues who want to see what conclusions you have reached
and what evidence you have used to support them.
- Manage
your time carefully. Divide the work into a number of tasks, develop a
schedule that leaves lots of time for revision, and stick to your
schedule.
- Choose
a topic that interests you. Define it as precisely as you can before beginning
your research, but be prepared to modify, adapt, and revise it as you
research and write your paper.
- If
you cannot find appropriate sources, ask a reference librarian for help.
- When
making notes, always record
the author, title, publication data, and page numbers of the source. For
electronic sources, note also the URL, the name of the database or site,
the name of the institution or organization sponsoring the site, either
the date of publication or the date the source was last revised, and the
date you accessed the site.
- Use
your source material to support your own ideas, not the other way around.
- Document
your sources according to whatever style your supervisor prefers.
- Revise,
edit, and proofread carefully. If you omit this step, the hours and weeks
you have spent on your assignment will be wasted, not rewarded.
