4 things in Research Topics and title Selection

Research Topics and title formulation are the landmark or starting point of the research activity and the initial step to the research success. The subject matter one selects is vital in the success of the research report. This is because one’s interest in the topic will uphold the research. It is therefore undoubtedly important to look at the research proposal and report writing by starting from it’s the roots and basis on which the whole investigation itself is laid.

Research topic

Title is not to be confused with topic. In research the term ‘topic’ means the field area your research is conducted in. In other words, the topic is the subject-matter, or the problem under investigation, which may be a wider domain of study area such as: ICT use in education, IQ testing in primary education, etc. where you intend to conduct the research. This can also consist of current issues in your domain, namely education. In this case, for instance, the increase in the number of pregnancies in secondary education, drug or alcohol abuse among the school children, HIV/AIDS effect on education, gender issues awareness, decentralisation in education sector, school curriculum change, bullying issue in schools, etc. can constitute your research topics. From each one of the above topics various titles can be formulated by narrowing the topic and singling out one of its aspects which interests or preoccupies you most and conduct an investigation on that particular aspect. The Research topic selection process will uniquely be governed by the researcher’s interest. This is because if a researcher is interested in a particular area, he/she will enjoy reading materials related to that subject, and will put time and effort into the work. Topic selection should not be the matter of trying to please someone, but what you like and feel comfortable to work on. All research requires painstaking thought, writing, and reading before the proposal/report is finalised. If the researcher is interested in the topic, this will be an exciting venture. It is therefore imperative that a researcher selects a topic that interests him/her. In order to effectively selection your topic, you should follow the procedure below:

1. Reflect on the issue in your area of study which attracts your interest or riddles you

There are many issues in life that may riddle or interest a researcher. These may be social, economic, health, political or cultural issues. However, it is important to identify a puzzling aspect in one’s area of study. This not only enables the researcher to go in-depth in one’s professional area, but also to defend the researched work with authority. For example, before deciding on an area of study, a student in the department of Sociology may be puzzled as to why people still consume illicit brews despite the dangers experienced and the warnings given by the government. A student in the department of Curriculum Development may be puzzled as to why, despite the reduction of examinable subjects at the primary level, pupils are still overworked. A doctor may be puzzled as to why, despite awareness creation on malaria prevention and the provisions of mosquito nets to a certain district, malaria prevalence was still high. A student in the department of Religious Studies may be puzzled at the mushrooming of churches in Zambia. An educationist may be puzzled about free primary education and school accessibility, retention and performance. These are fertile grounds in which students can identify research topics.

2. Key out some words to make up your topic

The researcher should then zero down to the real aspect puzzling him/her and express it in specific keywords. These keywords can include words representing the issue that has puzzled the researcher. For example if the researcher is puzzled about illicit brews, the keywords may be increase of illicit brews. The keywords for the student in Curriculum Development department may be curriculum reduction verses student overwork. The doctor’s keywords may be awareness creation verses malaria prevalence. For the student in education, the keywords may be free primary education, school accessibility, retention and performance. The researcher should think of what to concentrate on based on these words.

3. Now define your topic

After identifying the keywords the researcher wants to concentrate on, he/she has to define the topic. Defining the topic involves analysing selected keywords keenly. Out of these keywords there are a number of topics that can be studied. For example on illicit brews, the researcher has to decide on what to concentrate on, whether it is causes and effects or the costs. A researcher analysing student overwork may study the causes and effects or analyse the implementation aspect. At this point, the researcher has to filter and come up with the topic to be studied. For example, on the issue of free primary education, the researcher may decide to concentrate on free primary education and student accessibility, or free primary education and student retention, or free primary education and learners’ performance or all of the above, thus analysing free primary education and school accessibility, retention and performance. The researcher has to identify specifically what he/she wants to concentrate on. This enables the study to be focused.

4. Finally, articulate your topic

After identifying and defining the topic, the researcher should formulate it. For example the drug abuse among youths in Zambia. The researcher should search for articles and other materials relevant to the research topic. This information will assist the researcher develop clarity over the topic selected. This will also assist the researcher in the formulation of the research problem later on. The researcher should take notes, paraphrase and summarise what has been read on relevant materials. This will be included in the literature review. Relevant information related to the selected topic can be found in a library or the Internet.

How should a best topic look like? (Introduction in Research)

A good research topic has the following qualities:

1.  It should be easily explorable: That means it is a subject where the research instruments can be easily formulated and the study population sampled. The objectives that will be formulated based on the topic are measurable.
2. It should be interesting to the researcher: The topic selected should be one that the researcher has an interest in.
3. It should contribute to the body of knowledge: A good research topic is one in which the researcher is aware that the findings of the study will contribute to the body of knowledge.
4. It should be exciting and leave room for debate: It is open to varied views and interpretations.
5. It should be unambiguous: The topic is not vague or alien to the researcher.

What to avoid while choosing a topic

Selecting a topic in research is essential and requires a lot of care. This is because the topic selected has a lot of influence on the success of the project/study. There are various challenges encountered in research topics selection, and some have resulted in researchers abandoning the project halfway, or the project taking longer to be completed than anticipated. The following are some of the problems encountered in topic selection.

1. Your topic should not be broad

A researcher may select a research area that is too wide and fail to limit the scope. This occurs due to underestimating the dimension of the topic. For example, ‘The effects of climate change’. This topic may be problematic since the effects of climate change and its intensity varies by region and gender. The impact of climate change in Chipata may not be similar to its impact in Lusaka. It is also vague since the effect of climate change on education may be different from its effect on politics. A topic such as Truancy in schools may also be problematic unless the scope is clearly specified. This topic may be too wide because the causes and effects of truancy on education vary by gender and region. Truancy also has diverse effects on school accessibility, retention and academic performance. It may be impossible for this researcher to conduct an in-depth study. To avoid selecting a topic that is too wide, the researcher should be very clear and focused on what they want to research. If it is issues related to climate change or truancy, then they have to be very certain on what they want to investigate in relation to climate change or truancy and make that the focus of the study.

1. Your topic should be somehow simplified and not too requiring

It is a wise idea to choose a topic which does not require too large sample size, covering too long distance to collect data or any other requirement for research. Your chosen topic should not the one requiring too sophisticated methods for your level of study or available resources. For instance a study on ‘Consumer reaction to price increases’ may require a large population sample. A study on ‘The mushrooming of private schools in Zambia’ is complex in that it requires clear definition of the term “mushrooming.” A single researcher cannot usually undertake this type of research. It may require different approaches and a lot of capital besides expertise. This topic may present the researcher with problems particularly during data collection and analysis.

Choose a topic which is time effective

Most research works have a limited time span for which data should be collected and presented. Failure to adhere to this may lead to disqualifications or penalties. Some topics, for example, Effects of free primary education over a five year period may not be feasible for a master’s, or bachelor’s degree programme. This is mainly because for these programmes students usually have two years or less to conduct their research. If for some reasons, gathering information will take many months or even years, then the topic may not be suitable, particularly if the researcher has a specific deadline to meet.

Choose a cost effective research topics, whose data and research materials are easily available.

A particular topic may prove unsuitable simply because there is no ready accessibility to the requisite source materials. It is common for some source materials not to be made available for some years after an event or during the lifetime of an individual. Other materials may not be available in libraries. Some research works have been delayed or changed due to the problem of unavailability of subjects. For example, a study based on Aids patients at UTH may not be easy as accessibility to respondents may be limited. The patients may also feel an invasion of privacy and refuse to respond. Topic selection is vital in proposal writing as it contributes to the success of the research. The researcher should therefore ensure that he/she is certain about the topic to be researched, is interested in the topic and the required materials and resources are available.

Research Title

As defined by Kombo and Tromp (2006), a title is a tag or brand or heading. It describes what the study is all about. Smith (2011) advances that the title informs both the researcher and the reader about what they expect to get out of the research study. The research title should be concise and state clearly the purpose of the study. The essential elements to be included in the title are the major variables and the target population. These should be phrased in such a way as to describe what the study is all about. You should not state your title so broadly that it may claim more than it can actually deliver. For instance, sex differences in the enrolment of SGCE candidates in Technical Drawing from 2004 to 2007, or “The effect of group discussions on learning outcomes in the Open and Distance Education system”. You can note the variables here. Look at the two more examples of research title:

• Impact of Piaget’s theory on curriculum implementation. A case of selected grade 2 and 3 classes in primary schools in Lusaka district.
• Abortion in Livingstone: An examination of its causes and effects on female students in secondary schools.

In the above examples, Piaget’s theory and abortion are independent variable while curriculum implementation and the effects of abortion are dependent variables. There are a number of things to consider when selecting a research title. You may start by discussing some topical issues in society which may include such matters as businesses that are not making any profit, the effect of business location on the success of a business, insecurity in urban and rural areas or the mushrooming of churches. In business management a researcher may analyse factors hindering the success of income generating activities. Note that it is only after selecting the topic of your interest that you can formulate the research title. In order to effectively select your research title, you should follow the steps below:

1. Choose the keywords to include in the title: Before selecting the title, the researcher should identify key issues in the topic the researcher is interested in.
2. Think over the main issues from your topic: The researcher should brainstorm the key issues identified. This includes attempting to find out the independent and dependent variables. For example if the researcher is puzzled over price increase and commodity consumption, questions that the researcher should attempt to answer are:

• Does price increase affect consumption?
• Does price increase influence consumption?
• Does consumption influence price increase?

The researcher will attempt to find out how these issues can be linked to form a title.

3. Now phrase your research title: After you are clear about the independent and dependent variables, the title you will also be clear to formulate the title. The formulation of the title involves trying to link the key variables. This can be formulated by using terms such as The effect of…, The impact of…, An assessment of…, for instance, The effect of price increase on consumption or The effect of free primary education on school accessibility.
4. Evaluate you formulated title: After formulating the title, you will have to ensure that it is clear and specific. This means the independent and dependent variables are easily identified (variables will be discussed later). For example, if the title is on the effect of price increase on consumption the researcher may specify it as ‘The effect of price increase on sugar consumption in Zambia’. If the title is on free primary education, the title can be ‘The effect of free primary education on student accessibility, retention and academic performance’.

Characteristics of an effective title

An effective research title should portray the following qualities:

• Briefness and specificity: For example looking at the title, ‘The impact of drug abuse on education’. This brevity makes the title stand out and have a strong impact. It is easier to identify the independent and dependent variables. The title becomes clear and focused.
• Objective-orientedness: The title is a brief summary of what the study is about. It should portray the aims and objectives of the study. The words used in the title should clearly reflect the focus of the study.
• Clarity and unambiguity: The title should not lead to various interpretations of the study.
• Variables-Linking: The title should reflect a relationship between the independent and dependent variables, for example, the effect of price increase on food consumption.
• Portraying a researchable issue: The aspects described in the title should be measurable.

Note that some of the most common fallout of research title selection include, choosing a title which is vague, too wordy, and difficult to understand or explain. Furthermore, the formulated title should not in any way deviate from your topic and ought to be consistent with all the main parts of research, including problem statement, purpose, research questions, hypotheses, objectives as well as the methodology used.