help with research topic

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Ok, I have to do a research project with a group and we are having trouble coming up with topics for our proposal. Any suggestions?

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
Ok, I have to do a research project with a group and we are having trouble coming up with topics for our proposal. Any suggestions?

If you want some suggestions, you have to be MUCH MORE SPECIFIC.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

The Affects of Jelly Beans on Ronald Reagan's Presidency.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
The Affects of Jelly Beans on Ronald Reagan's Presidency.

:chuckle

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

The most common mistake that students make when trying to choose a research topic is that they try to jump to the last step of the process too early. Before you even try to think of a specific topic for research, you should do a couple of things first.

1. Find a general topic or aspect of practice that is of general interest to the group. Don't get too specific at the start.

2. Review the literature on that general topic. Find out what research has already been done ... what problems still need to be solved ... what questions do the existing articles not answer ... etc.

3. As you review and discuss the articles with your classmates, you should find yourself narrowing down your focus. You will also learn how other researchers have approached the topic, what tools they used to measure the various things they measured in their studies, what problems they encountered, etc. All that information will be very useful as you plan your study.

In other words ... let your research questions and project plan evolve out of your exploration of the literature on the general topic. Don't try to jump to a conclusion as to what would be a good question without first doing your homework on the general area.

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The post above gives a very solid approach to picking a research topic. I had a graduate professor who said the biggest problems she saw with research topics/proposals was that the student "wanted to explain the world and give 5 examples." :chuckle

To the OP, if you want to bounce ideas off us once you've done some preliminary investigation, fire away.

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