Forschungsthemen finden: Tipps und Techniken

Thematic Search

• The research topic should pique your interest.
• The topic should not be too general.
• Practical relevance to one or more target groups is required.
• Existing academic discussion and literature on the topic are necessary.
• The topic should be formulated in a way that allows for a clear question.

Finding a Research Topic

• Consult academic journals.
• Review textbooks or overview works.
• Consider course content from other classes.
• Review course module handbooks.
• Investigate departmental websites for faculty research interests.
• Review departmental websites (e.g., publication lists).

Creativity Techniques

• Creativity techniques can help overcome mental blocks.
• They enable the subconscious to unlock new ideas and overcome established patterns.
• These techniques assist with idea generation.
• Examples include brainstorming, SPSS procedures, the Walt Disney method, SWOT analysis, and Fishbone analysis.
• Referencing materials like Voss (2019) for relevant creativity techniques and explanations.

Assignment

• Watch the video "From Idea to Research Topic" to learn more about finding research topics.
• Expand the "Requirements for a Scientific Research Topic" and "Finding a Research Topic" sections in your notes.

Research Question

• Watch the video "Formulating a Research Question - Topic Selection (Linguistics)" by LotseTeam (2016).
• Take detailed notes of the key points.

Characteristics of a Good Research Question

• A proper research question should be phrased using "W-questions" (e.g., What? Why? How?).
• The question should be answerable within the scope of the research.
• A clear link to the problem statement is essential.
• The response should provide knowledge expansion, not just for yourself, but also for a broader audience.
• The answer shouldn't be readily apparent or trivial.

Characteristics of a Poor Research Question

• A poor research question may make a false assumption.
• It might be internally contradictory.
• A poor research question masquerades as a genuine question.
• The question lacks clarity, making a response impossible.
• It's biased or leads to inappropriate conclusions.
• The question isn't relevant to professional practice or the field of study.
• The question is unanswerable with the available resources.

Types of research questions

• Descriptive (describes what is happening)
• Explanatory (explains why something happens)
• Predictive (predicts future outcomes)
• Prescriptive (prescribes changes or actions)

Literature Search

• The snowball method is a heuristic for finding literature.
• It starts with a relevant book or article on the topic.
• Following relevant links leads to further sources.
• It should be coupled with systematic methods due to the potential for biased outcomes.
• Note that the snowball method is retrospective, potentially omitting recent literature.

Types of Sources

• Primary sources are objects of study (e.g., data, documents, accounts).
• Secondary sources analyze or interpret primary sources.

Internet Resources

• Online sources offer a wide array of texts and documents.
• Categorizing online material is essential.
• Use online resources for web pages, journals, books, blogs, and forums.
• Consider the quality and trustworthiness of online sources.

Evaluating Sources

• Evaluate the author's reputation and background.
• Assess the source's validity and reliability.
• Consider the publication context and the date of publication.
• Evaluate the structure and arguments presented within the source.

Primary and Secondary Sources

• Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
• Primary sources are original documents, while secondary sources analyze or interpret them.

Dieser Leitfaden bietet Ratschläge zur Themenfindung für Forschungsarbeiten. Er behandelt die Auswahl interessanter und relevanter Themen, die auf vorhandener Literatur aufbauen. Kreativitätstechniken zur Ideenfindung werden ebenfalls vorgestellt.