Start from interest and purpose
List three areas you genuinely enjoy and one career goal. A topic that serves both keeps you motivated for months.
Read recent reviews
Find two or three review articles from the last five years. Their “future research” sections list open questions you can build on.
Narrow by context, population and method
Add a place, a group and a time frame: “remote work” becomes “remote work and wellbeing among UK nurses since 2022”.
Check feasibility
Can you access the data or participants? Do you have the time, skills and ethics approval? If not, adjust before committing.
Test it as a question
If you cannot write it as one clear research question, the topic is still too broad. Share it with your supervisor early.
Research Topic & Research Problem Help
Most research struggles start with a weak topic. Our mentors help you find a focused topic, identify a genuine research problem and turn it into answerable questions. Find out more →
