Choosing a Dissertation Topic

Choosing a topic for the most important paper you may ever write in your life can be an overwhelming prospect that many students are happy to have to do only once! Going about deciding upon a topic is not an easy task and students are often tempted to choose complicated or ground breaking subjects that will really wow their professor and dissertation committee. That isn’t always the best choice to make unless a number of other factors are considered.

Is your topic researchable?

Topics which have very little supporting data or which are so obscure that researching them is a time consuming and mammoth task will create an overwhelming volume of extra time and effort. It is just as impressive to pull together a thesis about a well researched subject which you put into new perspective. That option also provides you with the opportunity to spend your time creating a brilliant well written piece rather than scrounging for information or testing difficult results.

Write what you know!

A dissertation is a reflection of your knowledge and skill. It is a super opportunity to show off years of study and hard work. By using a topic that is familiar you will be able to show yourself in the best light and come off sounding like a real expert. That is especially true if you are able to show that you have understood what you have learnt and have been able to further develop the idea independently. Writing what you know also has the advantage of being a topic you have already been in interested in; it will likely hold your attention and interest for the time it takes to write your dissertation.

If you really can’t decide upon a topic, or you’re too nervous to take such a leap without advice, consult your dissertation chair or committee. They will likely offer suggestions and these will have the advantage of appealing to the people you need to impress at the end of the day!