We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Home

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How do I Choose the Best Dissertation Topic?

Nicole Madison
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 10,798
Share

Choosing a dissertation topic is a critical step in working toward a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Among the most important factors to consider as you try to choose the best dissertation topic is your interest in your topic. In addition to that, you may do well to choose a topic that is neither too narrow nor too broad. In most cases, it also helps to choose an original topic, or at least a different angle on an already-explored topic. You may also prefer to choose a dissertation topic that all of the members of the dissertation committee support.

One of the most important parts of choosing a dissertation topic is selecting one that really interests you. This is critical, as you will likely spend more than a year working on it. If you lose your excitement for your topic early on, completing it will likely become a chore. Sometimes people choose dissertation topics that their professors are covering and then feel lost once they move to another topic. The same may hold true when a person chooses a topic based on a professor's interest and then comes to feel that it is too complicated, or even boring, later.

When you’re trying to choose the best dissertation topic, you may do well to select a topic that allows you to focus your dissertation without being too tightly focused. It’s important for your dissertation to be focused, so you‘ll be able to finish working on it on time. If your topic has too many points of distraction, you may find it difficult to complete your work and provide the appropriate level of depth. At the same time, you’ll likely want to avoid topics that are so focused that you won’t have enough material to explore.

Originality is also important when you’re trying to choose the best dissertation topic. Often, doctoral students are expected to come up with unique topics or different angles on a new topic. For example, while you’re reading about a topic that interests you, you may find that you have unanswered questions that spark your interest. You may decide to seek the answers to those questions through your dissertation research.

You may also consider the interests of those on the dissertation committee when you’re working to choose the best dissertation topic. If you choose a topic that the dissertation committee members disagree on, you could have trouble getting it approved. Getting feedback may not only help as you attempt to choose a topic, but also as you work toward completing and defending your dissertation.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Nicole Madison
By Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGeek writer, where she focuses on topics like homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. Her passion for knowledge is evident in the well-researched and informative articles she authors. As a mother of four, Nicole balances work with quality family time activities such as reading, camping, and beach trips.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By Lostnfound — On Nov 29, 2014

Choosing a topic for a master's thesis was bad enough. I can't imagine doing a whole dissertation -- and defending it -- right now! I think I'd look for a degree program that didn't require a dissertation. Some degrees don't -- it just kind of depends. Some programs have students present several research projects throughout their time in school, and they also have to do practicums and write papers on them.

But a topic would have to interest me enough to want to write 200 pages of research on it, and then collate all the sources and works cited into another 100 pages of stuff, including an index. Gracious. I don't know that I'd want to do a dissertation on chocolate, and that's about my favorite thing in the world!

By Grivusangel — On Nov 28, 2014

I'd say you'd have to find a topic that is broad enough that research can be done on it, but also narrow enough that you're not going all over creation, looking for something specific to focus on.

I've had that problem with research papers. Of course, with 10-15 pages, you have a much, much smaller field, but you've still got to narrow the topic to something that merits focus, and also hasn't been absolutely researched to death so that there's really nothing new to say about it. It can be a fine line to walk. I think most doctoral students do get guidance from their advisers on topics that meet the requirements for the degree, and are fertile for research.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGeek writer, where she focuses on topics like...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-choose-the-best-dissertation-topic.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.