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October 10th, 2005

Whether you’re in undergrad or graduate school, choosing a topic for and writing a thesis can be a process that makes you break out into a cold sweat. You’re not alone– many students struggle with getting started on writing a thesis and feel the pressure to come up with a great idea for a research topic. While there is no surefire way to come up with a brilliant and career-making topic, there are some things that you can do to get the ball rolling on the process and ensure that you’re not left trying to pull something together the night before your deadlines.

First, get in touch with your academic adviser, or whomever is guiding you through the thesis process. They can help you make an intelligent decision based on your interests and your strengths as a student and ensure you won’t be without at least a few good ideas for starting your thesis. Additionally, they will likely be able to point you in the direction of materials that you can use for inspiration, topics you might not have been aware even existed or indicate ways you can expand on research you’ve already done.

One of the most important factors in choosing a thesis topic is making sure that it’s something that you truly love learning about and have a real interest in. Otherwise, it’s going to be an uphill battle to complete any project you start. When you love your topic, you’ll be more willing to put in extra hours in front of your keyboard and in the library.

While it can be great to be inspired by existing research projects, the idea of a thesis is for you to pursue your own unique lines of inquiry. This means that when you’re trying to come up with a topic that it’s important to make sure that it fits into a different niche of your area of expertise and examines ideas that haven’t already been investigated by someone else. It might be harder than you think, so a do a little research to make sure you’re laying the groundwork for a unique thesis.

Finally, pick something that it will actually be possible for you to manage. If you’re trying to tackle an issue that would better be addressed in several rather than one long paper, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. Make sure your thesis topic is specific enough to limit the amount of information you will have to bring in and the amount of pages it will take to cover the topic with a great deal of competency.

There is no way to completely remove the stress that comes along with choosing a topic for your thesis and actually having to write it, but you can make the process more streamlined, more intelligent and ultimately better for your academic career with a little research, advice and thought in advance.

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