Marketing Dissertation Topics – Defining Your Interests

A dissertation is an incredibly long academic work that requires at least a year to complete. Many academics who are working on their dissertations find that they lose interest and momentum after a few months of research or after writing a few drafts; this loss of motivation can result in poorly-written dissertation chapters and slower overall progress.

Don’t let this happen to you! Before you embark on a dissertation, make sure to define your core theoretical and academic interests. Choose a dissertation topic that falls within these categories, and pursue a dissertation question that you find truly engaging. Not only will this make the writing process less arduous, it will also result in a final paper that is more interesting and marketable as a published journal article. Here’s how.

Know Your Expertise

Choose a dissertation topic that you have a great deal of expertise in. If you’re at the dissertation stage of your academic career, you already have several years of coursework under your belt, as well as multiple comprehensive exams and independent study courses. This knowledge can be applied to your dissertation project, saving you hours of research time. Look back on your academic career thus far and consider which sub-areas you know the most about. Select a topic for your dissertation that you already know a substantial amount about.

Apply Outside Interests

You probably have a wide variety of hobbies and interests outside of graduate school, and these passions can be applied to your dissertation research. Find a topic that intersects your academic expertise with your regular-life passions and interests. Are you a political junkie studying history? Conduct a dissertation project that looks at European history through a contemporary political lens. Are you a psychology student and a film buff? Consider conducting a study that involves the effects of movies on participants’ moods or attitudes.

Find Your Passion

Select a dissertation topic that is high-stakes, current, and important to you. Many researchers apply their own life experiences to their work, and you shouldn’t be afraid to do the same! Is there a social issue or trend that weighs heavily on your mind? Is there a phenomenon you wish the world knew or cared more about? Use your dissertation project to tackle these weighty topics. If you pursue a research topic you care deeply about, you will remain motivated throughout the entire dissertation process, and complete your paper in a shorter period of time as a result. As an added bonus, you will finish the dissertation process with a paper that is relevant and passionate, which will stand a much higher chance of publication.