FORMULATING A RESEARCH TOPIC

I end this school week with the realization that my chosen thesis—emerging ecclesiology—may well be fresh ground with very few academic treatments. Keeping it doable and manageable will be important tasks.

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Thesis: “a position advanced and sustained through argument”

• Argue for a position.
• Make a contribution: readers should learn something useful and the work should make a cogent case even if it does not convince the reader.
• Big Idea: Each sentence, paragraph, and section must contribute to the thesis. [lks addition: Ideas that are necessary but do not should contribute should be placed in footnotes.]
• Getting Started: Identify your interests. Make sure it is manageable (not too long) and doable (not too short).
• Define the problem.
• Formulate a hypothesis.
• Develop a thesis statement.
• Describe the state of the question: lay out the current consensus; understand the history of research (adequately treated? Objectively assessed?); and determine your contribution (Fresh insights? New data? New methodology?)
• Tips: Be methodical. Be disciplined. Be persuasive. Be organized. Be prayerful.

Tag(s): thesis research

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