Skip to Main Content

Dissertations & Extended Research Projects

Finding your Topic

Choosing a dissertation topic is often the hardest step; but it is also the most exciting as it is your interest and motivation for researching the topic you choose which will drive the process.

When choosing your topic, you will find you need to balance personal interest, academic relevance, and feasibility - see the tips below.

Top Tips for Finding your Topic

Start with your interests

Think about the areas of your subject that have sparked your curiosity during your course. Consider projects, artworks, performances, practitioners, or theories that you keep returning to. Ask yourself: 

What do you want to explore in more depth? What conversations do you want to join? What excites you?
Which lecture, project, or artist/designer/practitioner grabs your attention most?
What debates in your field do you find yourself talking about outside of class?
If you had a whole day to read, watch, or make something, what would you choose?

 

Remember: your interest and motivation for researching the topic will be what drives the process.

Look for gaps and opportunities

Review your past assignments, research journals and notebooks for recurring themes. Notice where you’ve asked questions that haven’t yet been fully answered.

Explore

Allow yourself some time to explore current debates, exhibitions, or publications in your field – skim through the titles in your course Talis resource list or look through article titles in Google Scholar in the last year or two, for example - what issues are people discussing right now? What debates and issues are you drawn to?

 

Explore

Allow yourself some time to explore current debates, exhibitions, or publications in your field – skim through the titles in your course Talis resource list or look through article titles in Google Scholar in the last year or two, for example - what issues are people discussing right now? What debates and issues are you drawn to?

Try listing, freewriting and brainstorming

Jot down words, ideas, or questions related to your interests. Talk your ideas through with other students on the course, your tutors, or dissertation supervisor. Allow yourself to write freely about your ideas. Make mind maps to connect themes and narrow them down.

Check feasibility

Do you have access to the resources, materials, or people you’ll need to research this topic? Can you reasonably explore it within the time you have? Will you find enough (but not overwhelming) secondary sources? Ask yourself:

Is this something I'm genuinely curious about?
Can I find enough scholarly sources?
Do I have time/ resources to research it properly?
Is the scope narrow enough to manage within the word count?

 

Keep it manageable - narrow your focus

A good topic is focused, not too broad. Instead of a broad research area such as “Sustainability in Fashion,” try narrowing it down to something more specific and manageable within the word count, e.g. “The role of upcycling in emerging UK fashion brands.” 

Remember: your dissertation is a limited project, not a lifetime’s work!

Activities to Find your Topic

2-minute Long List to Short List of Topics

  • Take a blank page or document.
  • Set a timer for two minutes.
  • Write a list of possible topics for your dissertation.
    • Example: “Street art as protest,” “AI in music production,” “Gender and costume design.”
  • Don’t overthink it—quantity over quality at this stage!
  • When the timer goes, give yourself another minute to make a shortlist of 2 topics!

Of course, you will need to consider your choice of topic carefully, but this is about allowing ideas to emerge.

5-Minute Brainstorm

  • Take a blank page or document.
  • Draw a quick mind map around one of your interests. Branch out into:
    • Key themes or issues (e.g. identity, sustainability, technology).
    • Possible case studies (artists, works, movements, performances).
    • Keywords for searching the library catalogue or databases.
  • Mindmapping is great for getting your ideas out of your head and onto paper - make it visual!

 

10-minute Freewrite

  • Take a blank page or document.
  • Set a timer for ten minutes.
  • Write non-stop prose on ideas for your dissertation even if it's "I don't know what to write".
  • Start with "My dissertation will explore/ examine/ argue...."
  • No external reader— spelling and punctuation doesn't matter at this stage, just keep writing until the timer stops!
  • This is great for tackling writer's block or fear of the blank page and letting ideas emerge and flow freely. By the end, most students are pleasantly surprised by how much they have written.

3-minute Elevator Pitch

Try explaining your idea in under three minutes to a friend or classmate.

  • If they get confused, your idea may need narrowing down.
  • If they ask questions, those might help you shape your research focus.

This is all about articulating your emerging thinking at this stage.

 

Formulating a Research Question

Once you’ve identified a general area, the next stage is to shape it into a clear research question – something specific you can investigate, analyse, and argue. Aim for a question that is specific (not too broad or vague); researchable (there are sources, works, and case studies available); and open to analysis (not a simple yes/no).

This can take time  - you will probably need to do some exploratory research before you can pin down the exact wording of a research question, but it's good to have a 'working question' to help you get started. You will find that you refine this 'working question' as you do more research and review the literature, so don't beat yourself up if you don't fix on one early on.

From Topic to Research Question

Step 1: Choose a Broad Topic

Write down something that interests you (can be a theme, artist, movement, or practice area, etc.).

Example: Street art

Step 2: Narrow It Down

Think about specific aspects, contexts, or debates.

Example: Street art as protest

Prompts to help:

  • Which time period, place, or group do you want to focus on?
  • Are you more interested in theory, practice, or both?
  • What specific issue, debate, or theory do you want to include?

Step 3: Add Depth with “How” or “Why”

Turn your narrowed topic into an open question.

Example: How has street art been used as a form of political protest in London since 2000?

Step 4: Test Your Question

Check your draft against these:

  •  Is it clear and focused?
  • Can you find enough sources and examples?
  • Does it invite analysis, not just description?
  • Can it realistically be answered within your dissertation word count?

Step 5: Refine and Finalise

Rewrite your question to make it sharper or more specific if needed.

Example (refined):
How have London-based street artists since 2000 used public space to challenge political authority?

Now try the same 5 steps with your research idea!

Exploratory Research: Testing the Waters

Once you have a rough idea of your topic, spend some time exploring what’s already out there. This early research isn’t about collecting everything you’ll use—it’s about getting a feel for the landscape of your research area. Exploratory research can help you refine a vague interest into a sharper topic and avoid repeating work that’s already been done. It might also help you spot opportunities for a unique angle. Think of it as a test drive for your ideas—trying them out before committing fully!

Some tips for exploratory research:

  • Search broadly: Use Library Search, digital collections, or Google Scholar to see how others have approached your topic.
  • Scan, don’t deep dive (yet): Look at titles, abstracts, and contents pages to spot patterns and gaps.
  • Notice recurring voices: Which artists, theorists, or movements keep coming up? They might be key to your topic.
  • Keep notes: have a notebook or system for noting interesting ideas, sources, or keywords as you go—you’ll thank yourself later.
  • Save references as you go: If you haven't got one already, sign up for a referencing management tool like MyBib or Zotero to keep track of interesting sources as you find them.
    •

This exploratory stage leads into the planning stage where you can start to organise your initial thinking and plan how you will approach your topic and research.