Planning and ConceptualizationChoosing a Research Topic   The topic should be in a field of personal interest to you to ensure that you maintain interest by staying updated on developments in the field.   ㆍWill your study yield results conducive to resolving real-life issues? ㆍDoes your inquiry concern new developments or issues in the area of your interest?ㆍAre your questions new and unexplored in previous research?ㆍOr does your study expand on or clarify the results of prior research?ㆍIs your chosen topic feasible within the given time frame and your capabilities for completion? Developing a Thesis Topic by Asking Questions   Finding a researchable topic by asking "Why?" Writing a thesis begins with exploring issues, which can encompass current events in the news, debatable topics, or questions worth investigating. The key here is that the chosen issue should be worth pursuing. Once you have found an issue with the potential to develop into a unique research topic, the remainder of your thesis-writing journey should be guided by repeatedly asking yourself 'Why?' and seeking answers to these questions. This can be facilitated by forming a habit of being inquisitive about the world around you. Arnold Hauser is known for having linked dialectics to football in an anecdote that occasionally is mentioned in football news articles. He gained insights fr|om a remark by one of his colleagues who watched the game together, who wondered why a team's performance always seemed to be shaped by and in response to that of the other team. What enabled Hauser to find the connection was the fact that he always had these issues in his thoughts. Coincidence and inspiration are the manifestations and products of persistent introspection and reflection. Any writing informed by the practice of exploring questions and seeking answers is bound to be creative and original.   Setting the subject of your thesis Finding an issue is the first step in writing a thesis. The next step is refining it into a specific topic. Frequently, topics when first introduced, tend to be too broad and abstract, requiring to be specified and concretized. A topic is the central issue or question you wish to explore in your thesis. It is also referred to as a 'subject' or 'theme.' A topic is what you want to focus on, analyze, interpret, and test in your thesis. The more limited the scope of a topic, the better. When a topic is broad, it requires excessively extensive research and risks making your thesis too complicated in its development and organization.   Developing your topic by going through a list of questions The renowned Korean novelist, Kim Young-ha, once said that his writing project ends when he has exhausted all the questions he has posed about the story. In other words, his novel becomes a final product when all the questions he has raised fr|om the beginning throughout the writing process have been explored and answered. This process of asking questions and seeking answers isn't exclusive to novels. In fact, all forms of writing are a cognitive game – one of constantly posing questions to yourself and answering them. Always keep in mind that when you want to discuss an issue you find intriguing, you have to refine it by focusing on specific questions worth exploring.   Finding your thesis perspective Once you have chosen your topic, the next step is determining the perspective fr|om which you want to develop it. Writing is not merely a string of words. The words are the physical manifestation of your reasoning. They should convey concrete arguments. The thesis perspective is the focus of your thesis, anchoring those arguments. Developing a strong thesis perspective benefits fr|om articulating the main point you want to make in your thesis with a concise sentence known as a 'thesis statement'. When your writing is anchored by a clear thesis statement, it effectively brings out the perspective you aim to convey about your issue. Writing that merely strings together information lacks vividness, as it lacks a clear thesis perspective. This distinction is what sets apart a good writer fr|om merely an editor. You don't want your writing to be a haphazard collection of scene cuts. A robust thesis perspective is what infuses vitality into your writing. The key here is that your thesis perspective should be as unique and original as your topic. The typical process of writing a thesis begins with a critical reading of relevant literature. You analyze existing essays or research papers to identify their main points, interpret them fr|om your point of view, and incorporate them into shaping your thesis perspective. This entire process hinges on your ability to identify the main points of argument in the literature you read.   Analyzing argument points in the literature Laying out your arguments is just a part of writing a thesis. Developing your logical arguments must be informed by the insights you gain fr|om reading up on others' writing. In most cases, your writing will be based on what you have read, seen, and heard fr|om external sources, whether it be a piece of writing or a video. The ability to distill central perspectives fr|om these materials can be nurtured by practicing summarizing, analyzing, and interpreting skills.   Developing your thesis perspective Analyzing existing texts for their individual argument points is aimed at gaining an accurate understanding of the key points each text producer (a scholar, an artist, etc.) intends to convey to their readers. Eventually, it will lay the groundwork for organizing your thoughts and developing your thesis perspective.      Information is Produced fr|om Noise   A willingness to delve into noise filled with unresolved and contestable information is key to identifying a good research topic. ㆍNoise is information that provokes feelings of dissociation, offensiveness, doubt, and discomfort. ㆍSome noise can be refined into unique information.ㆍNoise is not produced in an environment where everything is taken for granted without any questions asked about it.ㆍA good researcher relishes being in an environment of cognitive dissonance.    Data Research and Literature Review   The literature is a body of knowledge containing the questions and answers that have already been explored by others. A literature review is an indispensable stage in thesis writing. It enables you to find out how much research has been done on the issue of your interest and determine the gaps your research can fill in.Changes are that many of the questions you have regarding your issue have already been answered by others. Ascertaining this is critical for steering your research to questions yet unexplored.  Primary sources of reference: These are the materials that you will rely primarily on for reference. Secondary sources of reference: These are the materials that you will use only to complement your primary sources. A researcher should have a clear understanding of how to distinguish between primary and secondary sources of reference and when to use them.   ㆍSummaries of primary source texts are considered secondary sources, regardless of how detailed the summary may be. ㆍTranslated texts cannot be primary sources.ㆍAnthologies are not primary sources in their entirety.ㆍA researcher should make every effort possible to access and read primary sources of reference.    Quantitative vs. Qualitative  A quantitative study seeks to describe the phenomenon in question in numerical terms or verify theories by testing hypotheses. The more data is analyzed, the better results can be expected, particularly when your study involves many variables.   A qualitative study aims to analyze an issue in depth for new insights. In qualitative inquiries choosing the right topic to delve into is particularly vital, and your path of analysis and explanation should be persuasive.   Points to keep in mind for an effective literature review Covering a lot of ground doesn't lead to a good literature review. The following tips will make your literature review fruitful and help you zero in on previous studies most valuable for your current inquiry. ㆍFocus on literature current and relevant to your topic. ㆍStudies done outside your area of concentration can be helpful, too.ㆍStudies published in foreign languages can be valuable if accessible.ㆍThe simpler your research question, the more extensive the scope of previous research to be considered is likely to be.ㆍApproach your literature review fr|om multiple angles.ㆍKeep an open mind about the literature you select to review.ㆍBe critical in reviewing previous studies. Their results are just information, not truths.