How To: Choose Your Dissertation Topic.

The dreaded dissertation…

As someone who is currently in the process of writing theirs (it’s not that bad) I’ve seen first-hand the importance of choosing the right dissertation topic. After all, it is one of the most significant pieces of work you’ll hand in throughout your university career and is personal to you, so you want to make sure the topic you’re choosing is the right one and enjoyable to write. Below, are some of the questions I asked myself when I was choosing my dissertation topic:

Do I find the topic interesting?

After all, it is not often we get to develop our knowledge and write an essay on a legal topic which is of a particular interest to us, so the significance of this question shouldn’t be dismissed when it comes to choosing your dissertation topic. Here, I would suggest basing your dissertation topic around the module you enjoyed undertaking throughout your LLB, as you’re more passionate about it, which in turn, will make this experience more enjoyable and interesting.

Is the question unique and relevant?

Having a unique question is quite important since it not only makes your dissertation stand out but makes the research and writing process more enjoyable for you. However, by taking such an approach you arguably run the risk of making your topic too broad, so you need to determine which arguments are most relevant to your disseration topic, by checking the sources’ reputability and the date it was published for instance. This narrows your topic, ensures your arguments are well thought-out and researched and that you’re not including outdated arguments, which demonstrates you’re able to keep up with recent developments in the legal discipline. For instance, whilst my topic isn’t extremely unique, recent developments have brought in new debates surrounding the issue in question, which has made it increasingly unique in the sense that I’m looking at the topic through a new lens, also making it relevant in the process.

Is the question researchable?

Confirming that your topic is researchable is of paramount importance when it comes to choosing your dissertation topic. To do so, I considered the main arguments arguments outlined in the relevant textbooks and found a journal articles which helped developed my understanding of my dissertation topic and the arguments surrounding it. After doing so, I made a brief (but structured) plan to see the direction my dissertation would be going in which confirmed to me that it was a researchable topic.

Anyhow, these are some of the main questions I asked myself when it came to choosing my dissertation topic, which I hope you’ve found useful and enlightening to read.

DelveIntoLaw.