Coming Up With Interesting History Dissertation Topics In 4 Steps

There are some lucky students that can come up with a good history dissertation topic early in their graduate work, but for the rest of us developing a fresh idea can be extremely difficult. There are several techniques for generating ideas but if you were to ask a dozen academic experts you’re going to get a dozen different answers. So, why waste your time. Here is a simple 4 step process for developing your own history dissertation ideas and get you on the right track towards creating a great graduate academic document:

Step 1) Develop the Dissertation Topic Criteria

The first thing to realize is that your graduate project should be a presentation of an original theory or idea that is backed up with credible academic resources and personal study. History, which has a number of resources available, you’re going to have to decide on the topic criteria. What type of study will you be conducting and what will you need to do in order to present your findings?

Step 2) Generate Some Ideas to Get You Started

The best approach to coming up with a topic is to start broadly. Consider some of your required or recommended class readings. If there are certain things that have interested you in your class then start a list of ideas in a notebook. It would also be a good start to read through some of the more important issues being discussed online or in the media.

Step 3) Look for Similar or Related Studies

Assuming you can generate about 5 or 6 ideas, you should do some preliminary research with the aim of making sure you aren’t researching a topic that has already been completed by another student or academic. Use keywords effectively to find similar or related work. If you do find content that has already been written you can still consider adding or disproving the work, but you’ll need to take a fresh approach.

Step 4) Narrow the Focus of Your Dissertation

The final step is to narrow the focus of your study to something that is manageable in the limited amount of time you have to complete the project. Generally, it can take several months to write a good document, but there are several instances where some unexpected hurdle might prevent you from committing yourself to just your work. The more focused your idea is the easier it will be to complete.