Population and Sample

Research Topic Template

Using this template, you will write your first draft of the research topic you would like to develop into a dissertation topic. The template will guide you step by step in doing so.

Step 1: Starting Out—Getting It on Paper

In each of the following spaces, write the elements of your research topic as directed. A successful research topic:

 

  • Names the key concepts to be investigated.
  • Describes the relationship (if any) between them.
  • Identifies the target population of interest.
  • Is sufficiently narrow and focused to permit research.
  • Is a phrase, not a complete sentence.

 

  • What are the key concepts you wish to investigate? Use terminology appropriate to your specialization and discipline

 

  • What are the relationships (if any) that you want to explore between or among your key concepts?

 

  • What is your target population? Be as specific and descriptive as you can.

 

  • Good work. Now, combine all three elements into a single phrase. Write it as carefully as you can and do not hesitate to rewrite it as often as needed. Your phrase should be clear, well worded, and articulate the topic statement.

 

Step 2: Narrowing and Focusing the Topic

Here you will use an exercise to narrow your topic’s key concepts and population at least four times. A helpful resource for this exercise is keyword searching. You can reach out to a librarian for help with keyword searches.

As you try to focus your concepts more tightly, using keyword searching or subject searching in the library databases will help you find alternative concept words. For instance, if you search on a key concept term such as “management,” finding an article on management will also provide you some new keywords used by that author or journal.

Please realize that once you get deeply into the literature and begin doing the multiple searches you will ultimately carry out, your key concepts will become increasingly focused and powerful. You may easily change them many more times, as you grow toward mastery of your topical and methodological literature. For now, four iterations of the exercise will get you to a fairly focused place and will prepare you for your initial literature searches.

Complete the steps in sequential order as you follow these instructions:

Analysis, Findings, Discussion, and Ethics

  • Enter the first concept from your research topic in 1.4 in the first left-hand cell of the grid. Enter the second key concept in the second cell. Continue entering all your key concepts (if you need additional rows, click in the last cell and then press the Tab key to add new rows).
  • For each concept, fill in the second column with a narrower term for that concept. Ask yourself what you mean by the broad term and try to find a term that is more focused. For example, if your concept is learning, do you mean rote learning (learning by memorization) or adaptation (learning by trial and error) or some specific kind such as learning to read or learning to drive a car? If a concept is educational instruction, do you mean a level of instruction (such as high school), a modality of instruction (such as lecture or audiovisual), or some particular approach to instruction (such as experiential learning)? Do not rush yourself. Keep reflecting on what you really mean and want to know. Push yourself to be as specific as possible.
  • Move to the third column when you are satisfied with the second column. For this iteration, we recommend that you visit the library and start searching using the terms in the second column. Do not link them; just search as broadly as you can on the single term. For instance, if in the second column your key concept is now experiential learning, search just on that term, and look for keywords or subjects. This will probably provide you with some new terms from the literature, and you can browse them and decide which term will allow you to further focus and narrow your key concept.
  • Lastly, when you are satisfied with the third column, go through the process a fourth time. Once again, use the library and search on the term in the third column. Here, you may want to make use of the database’s thesaurus or controlled vocabulary list. When you obtain a variety of new terms, reflect carefully on them. Choose the term that takes you where you want to go and clearly expresses the key concept that you wish to investigate.
  • Enter the Target Population in the “2.5 Target Population” rows.

 

Refining Key Concepts

 

Step 2.1

Broad Term

 Step 2.2

Narrow

 Step 2.3

More Narrow

 Step 2.4

Most Narrow
Behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy for depression  
Major depressive disorder Major depressive disorder treatment Depression symptom treatments  
Antidepressants Antidepressants and depression Antidepressants versus psychotherapy  
       
       
       

 

2.5 Target Population
Adults with major depressive disorder

 

Step 3: Writing the New Research Topic

In the following space, write your research topic as a single phrase, using the words in the fourth column. Leave out extra words, omit any verbs (unless they are key concepts), and use no modifiers. Work to craft a clean, concise, and very clear phrase. Even if it is in quite specific terminology used by your discipline, it should be immediately understandable to a member of your specialization.

Cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment for depression symptoms, on its own or as an adjunct treatment with antidepressants.

 

 

 

Step 4: Develop Your Literature Search Question

Once you’ve completed several iterations of the research topic and narrowed down your topic, it’s time to develop a literature search question (LSQ). Your LSQ will guide your literature search: the LSQ accommodates a structured way of mining the databases for scholarly literature related to your research topic.

 

Your LSQ needs to represent the topic; therefore:

  1. Choose an appropriate topic or issue that interests you and can be researched.
  2. Brainstorm a list of questions related to the topic that you would like answered.
  3. Select the question that is clear and not too broad or narrow.

 

LSQ examples:

  • What does the literature in psychology tell us about the utility of cognitive behavioral therapy for the prevention of poor mental health outcomes in children ages 9–12 who are living in shelters with their mothers as a result of partner violence?
  • What does the literature in psychology tell us about the best practices for teaching parents of preschool boys with autism how to use sign language when communicating with the older siblings as well as their autistic son?
  • What does the literature in psychology tell us about the value of combining synchronous and asynchronous labyrinth walking with traditional cognitive behavioral therapies for adults ages 20–35 with moderate depression as defined by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)?

 

What does the literature tell us about the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy, on its own or when combined with antidepressants, in the treatment of depression symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder?

 

 

 

Now that you have a research topic and a literature search question, it is time to conduct a literature search. It is helpful to use a literature matrix or literature map to organize the literature. For the final research concept paper, you’ll need a total of 20 empirical research sources. At this point, 5–10 sources will be helpful for practical purposes and for feedback.

 

Save your completed template! Be sure to keep your topic handy. You may need to continue referring to your topic and your LSQ as you review the literature.