• 3-minute read
• 6th April 2020

4 Top Tips for Picking a PhD Topic

Some people go into their PhD with a very specific idea of what they want to research, how to go about it, and how this fits into their long-term career plan. Most of us, however, do not have quite such a solid plan. As such, here are four things to keep in mind when picking a topic for your PhD thesis.

1. Don’t Rush!

Picking a PhD topic is not something to rush. Your thesis could dominate the next few years of your life. It may even have a profound influence on your future career, inside or outside academia. As such, you need to pick something you’re passionate about or you may lose interest!

In addition, a PhD is an opportunity to find your academic niche by studying something that has been overlooked by others. If you’re planning an academic career, then, try to find a topic that you can say something new about.

2. Ask for Advice

As with most things in life, picking a PhD topic is much easier if you talk it through with someone else. The most important people in this respect are the academic staff at the institution where you’ll be studying, especially if you have an idea of someone in particular you’d like to supervise your work.

Talking to current PhD students and graduates is also a good idea, as they can give you advice based on their own experiences of picking a topic. You may also be able to find advice on postgraduate student forums.

3. Know the Field

Make sure you read the latest research in your field of study. Not only is this vital to ensuring you’re prepared for academic life, it will also help you to identify potential research gaps that your PhD project could fill.

Another possibility is treating your PhD as a continuation of your postgraduate studies, especially if there’s something from you master’s degree that you want to explore in more depth.

4. Consider the Scope of Your Research

Finally, you must consider the scope of your project. This isn’t to say that ambition isn’t good. But possibly the most common mistake people make when picking a PhD subject is underestimating the scope of the project.

A PhD thesis is a hefty piece of work, but it isn’t the place to expound your unified theory of everything. Rather, a PhD should have a narrow scope that you can hope to cover thoroughly in a single piece of work. After you’ve managed that, you’ll have a lifetime in academia to work out the rest!

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