1. HOW TO DEVELOP A
RESEARCH TOPIC ?

2. Introduction
In the following slides, we will guide you the
steps and strategies to:
develop a research theme
develop a research topic

3. What is meant by “Research”?
Is it what you think about “research”??

4. What is meant by “Research”?
 research = “a close and careful study”
 to explore the answers for a question, that the
answers are not immediately available
 not to answer a closed question; meanwhile, to
answer from different resources and viewpoints
 to do a research is to expand the knowledge
base of a certain subject, and even to explore
new knowledge, so as to benefit the society

5. Steps of developing a research topic
1
• Formulate a research theme
2
• Formulate a specific research topic
3
• Narrow down / Expand your
research topic (if necessary)

6. Strategies on formulating a research
theme
You need to consider the followings when you
are developing a research theme:
to choose a theme that is relevant to your
course of study
to think of themes and topics that you feel
interested in. As you will work on the same topic
through-out the coming months
to think of argumentative topics

7. Possible ways to dig-out a research theme:
glance through books and journal articles about your
course
pay much attention to the issues that people are
discussing in the society
read more newspapers and journal articles to get more
inspirations on different viewpoints of issues
glance through a subject guide of your course of study
website: http://libguides.ln.edu.hk/
Strategies on formulating a research
theme (continued)

8. If you are not sure of your research theme,
you can:
discuss with your instructor or teaching assistants
discuss with your peers to get more inspirations
get help from librarians and library resources
use the Research Consultation service offered by
the Library
Helping hands in formulating a
research theme

9. Examples of a research theme
Juvenile delinquency in Hong Kong
The development of QDII
Slavery system in the US in the 19th
century
Up to now, we have just touched on
the research theme,
what you need to do NOW
is to form a research question

10. From a research theme to a research
question
A research question is the real "question" that
you need to find the answer by doing your
research paper or project

11. Strategies of developing a research
topic
• NOT to think of a "closed" question, which means not much
elaboration and explanation can be made
• Try to use the “5W” method to brainstorm about the
topic: Why? What? When? How? Which?
•

12. Note-taking in developing a research
topic
• You should take notes when you read on :
some interesting viewpoints that are related to your
research topic
new developments and new trends of the topic
keywords and subject headings that you found
remarkable for your further research
some quotations that are catchy or memorable

13. How to organize the materials and
develop a research question?
When developing a research question, researchers often
visualize the research concepts
Q: Why visualize?
A: It is an easy way to find the logic and the relationship
among different concepts, so as to dig-out a research
question.
Here are 2 suggestions:
Draw a radial diagram to show the relationships between
an event/incident/phenomenon and the smaller concepts (or causes).
Draw a Venn diagram to show the relationship and different areas of
the main topics you choose. Usually the overlapping area is the area
you can further investigate into

14. Sample Radial
Diagram
Sample Venn
Diagram

15. More hints on developing a research
question
Ask yourself these questions when developing
a research question:
Is the topic interesting?
Do you want to know more about it?
Would information be too hard to find?
Is the scope of the topic far too difficult for you?
Is the topic too limiting?