dissertation topics in zambia

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Thesis: The Role of Political Parties in the Prevention of Electoral Conflict and Violence in Zambia

The study examines the role of political parties in the promotion and prevention of electoral conflict and violence in Zambia. The specific objectives were to; assess the effectiveness of conflict resolution mechanisms of political parties in the prevention of electoral violence in Zambia; find out the extent to which Political Parties adhere to the Electoral Code of Conduct in Zambia; and find out the extent to which political parties interact with other stakeholders in the electoral process in their quest to prevent electoral violence in Zambia. The study was based on the institution theory. The study employed a qualitative case study research design and purposeful sampling technique. Primary data was collected using semi-structured interviews, unstructured interviews and photo elicitation. Secondary data was collected through document review of political party manifestos, the electoral code of conduct, local and international election reports and print/electronic media reports. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse primary data, while content analysis was used to analyse secondary data. Thematic and content analysis were based on four broad analytical categories derived from research objectives; political parties’ perceptions of the causes of violence; self-regulating measures; adherence to the electoral code of conduct and political parties’ interaction with other institutions. Firstly, the findings revealed the following themes as the causes of electoral violence: lack of trust in ECZ and ZP; institutional weakness of political parties, ECZ and ZP; lack of clear political ideology and programmes; patrimonialism and clientelism. Secondly, the study revealed that political party structures and operations exhibit a political culture tolerant of violence. This is caused by ineffective conflict resolution mechanisms and lack of a written party of code conduct and consequences for engaging in electoral violence. Thirdly, political parties rarely adhere to the electoral code of conduct because of the ineffective implementation of the Electoral Code of Conduct by the ECZ and ZP. Fourthly, although political parties interact with other stakeholders in the electoral process in the quest to prevent electoral violence, these efforts are affected by bias media reports; lack of trust in ECZ and ZP; and lack of trust in Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID). It has been recommended that the ECZ and ZP should execute their mandate independently and impartially. The political parties should come up with a written party code of conduct and cultivate the culture of electoral education in their supporters.

Related Papers

International Journal of Political Science (IJPS)

Kennedy Sialoombe

The study examines the extent to which political parties adhere to the Electoral Code of Conduct to contribute to prevent electoral violence. The study employs a historical research design. Secondary data was collected through document review of political party constitutions, the electoral code of conduct, the commission of enquiry on voting patterns and electoral violence, local and international election reports and print/electronic media reports. Content analysis has been employed to analyse secondary data. The study argues that political parties rarely adhere to the electoral code of conduct, especially during elections. This is caused by a lack of strong political structures, poor leadership and the ineffective implementation of the Electoral Code of Conduct by the Electoral Commission of Zambia and Zambia Police. The study recommends that the political parties develop the party code of conduct and the Electoral Commission of Zambia and Zambia Police should execute their mandate independently and impartially.

Zambian Journal of Educational Management, Administration and Leadership (ZJEMAL) (ISSN - Print: 2706-7416, Online: 2709-1864)

Oliver Magasu

Zambian Journal of Educational Management, Administration and Leadership (ZJEMAL) Vol. 1, No. 1

dennis banda

European Journal of Law and Political Science

Sanny Mulubale

This study explored elements associated with electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The study rids on case study design which was employed on a targeted population that comprised 28 participants. The data were generated through interviews and document review. The main findings of this research were that electoral violence was associated with low socio-economic status, hunger for power, political immaturity and cadreism, selectivity in the application of the law by the law enforcement agencies, low education background and ethnicity. Further, the study found that high population density coupled with bad road network was difficult to police during election period. Therefore, this study concludes that electoral violence impacts the electoral process negatively as electorates are subjected to exercise their political rights under hostile conditions. Thus, among others, it is recommended that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should sp...

mwenya kachembele

Journal of African Elections

Ignatius Mukunto

Mussie Tessema

This article takes a cue from the ever-growing literature on governance and security issues in contemporary Africa. It postulates that elections, and the manner in which they are administered, are a major cause of political conflict in many of the continent’s 54 member countries. In addition to the unfavourable environment in which elections are generally conducted, election results are often discredited simply because the losing candidates opt to interpret technical irregularities experienced in election administration as acts of electoral fraud perpetrated by the victorious candidates, in connivance with the Election Management Bodies. This article uses evidence from the Republic of Zambia to illustrate that proper, effective and efficient institutional arrangements can promote and enhance the ethical and professional administration of national elections, and thereby reduce the high incidences of post-election conflict in Africa. From this perspective, the article presents seven s...

Dennis Ngosa

This paper looks at the absurdity of Zambia's party-political expediency in the wake of cadre-lism. The extent of party-political expediency leaves much to be desired. Zambian's unfolding party-politics render the whole naked happenings absurd or better still a bizarre conduit to the real Armageddon. As a matter of fact the whole drama that characterizes Zambia's political events such as elections, rallies, conventions, constitution making process render the Zambia's situation absurdity. Where has Zambia missed the concept of ideal democracy? Why is there so much political violence during the campaign for general elections and by-elections? Why has cadre-lism become the vehicle for such vices (political violence and malpractices in the electoral process) in Zambia? The mutual relationship between the political parties is not characterized by enmity, violence, vendetta and antagonism. Rather respect for each other's views is the hallmark of the politics and harmonious democratic culture. This tolerance and an atmosphere of reconciliation comes from the well entrenched rules of the game that political parties set as cardinal principles directing their conduct in the domain of public policy and general welfare. Apparently in Zambia and Africa at large there is a growing trend of cadre intolerance within the political den. The political related violence that we saw in the media from Kenya, Zimbabwe etc are now in our backyards (by-elections). Moreover, innuendos of hatred flood our media today in Zambia. It's from this background of specific political banalities such as violence that we render necessity to the topic under this analysis

David M Mpiima

Since right before independence Uganda has experienced electoral violence albeit of different degrees due to the questionable organization and handling of the electoral process by the electoral commission leading to rebellions, demonstrations and riots. In the most recent past in 2001, Uganda possibly experienced its most brutal election as president Museveni unexpectedly faced a stiff challenge from his erstwhile bush war doctor; Dr. Kiza Besigye. The chapter focuses on violence before, during and after elections and its causes looking at the major actors like the personalities, the electoral commission, army, police, militia groups and vigilante groups. Methodologically, the study was informed by a qualitative study with literature review and in-depth interviews with parliamentarians, losing candidates in previous elections and political activists. The main findings indicate that electoral violence is caused by a myriad of reasons including a lack of trust in the electoral commission, interference of the army, militia and vigilante groups as well as attitudes of politicians and the high level of commercialization of the electoral process yet there is hardly any meaningful civic education. Basing on these findings, the paper shows clearly that electoral reforms are good but possibly not enough to clean up the electoral process and deliver credible free and fair elections. It is thus imperative that any proposed reforms ensure that civic education is carried out to foster cognitive and behavioral change at individual level; but also engender structural and systemic changes through: delineating funding of the electoral commission from direct government funding, creation of true national security agencies including the army, police and other security sections that are not fused with the National Resistance Movement (NRM). If need be a transition Uganda‟s politics should transit from a presidential system of governance to a parliamentary system.

Anna Jarstad

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• Chanda Adrian Mwansa:  “ A study of the relationship between foreign exchange volatility and SME profitability and growth in Zambia. ”
• Kaputo Timothy:  “ A study of the effectiveness of government policy on foreign direct investment in Zambia (1992-2013) ”
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Amb. Dr. Elias Munshya

Writing to Pass: My Dissertation Advice to Law Students

By Elias Munshya Occasionally, law students from Zambian law schools do contact me for some “dissertation ideas”. Some find our blog very helpful in helping them narrow down a topic or two. While http://www.eliasmunshya.org is meant for the general audience, we are humbled at how we are contributing to the budding legal scholarship in Zambia.…

By Elias Munshya

Occasionally, law students from Zambian law schools do contact me for some “dissertation ideas”. Some find our blog very helpful in helping them narrow down a topic or two. While http://www.eliasmunshya.org is meant for the general audience, we are humbled at how we are contributing to the budding legal scholarship in Zambia. Here then are some dissertation ideas.

First, you need to know that the more specific you are in your dissertation, the better. For example, a study focussing on Zambia or Zimbabwe might be much more focussed than one that deals with Africa as a whole. Further, instead of trying to deal with all the areas of laws, focus on one. You cannot write a successful undergraduate dissertation if you have to incorporate every area of law out there – torts, crime, and constitutional law. It will be wise to focus on one area. Leave the complex inter-law analysis to later studies.

Second, do not take the middle way of what interests you. This is what I mean – choose a topic either of your highest interest or passion or of your least interest and passion. Do not go in a middle way, because you will not be motivated enough. I advise that if you are taking a topic of your “least” interest, make sure that you learn one thing or two from it. Your curiosity is what will motivate you. Do the hard work. If you chose the topic of your highest interest, go for it as well and let your interest drive you.

Third, tailor your proposal to your school’s policy. Do not forget that the school’s policy is as good as the dissertation professor assigned to you. Listen to what she has to say and work around her requirements. Do not go on choosing a topic or taking a step without, first of all, checking with what the school has to say. Academia sometimes is all about pleasing the sensitivities of your supervisors. And so pay attention to what they want. Let them challenge you.

Fourth, invest in excellent English writing skills. No one gets to become a good writer suddenly. By investing, I do not mean that go and spend a lot of money. You will be surprised at how much you will learn from posting your thoughts on Facebook or a blog. You will see the response from friends and from critics. Learn from that criticism. There are so many good grammarians on Facebook that have nothing better to do than correct wrong syntax and grammar. It will cost you a lot of money if you were to hire them; however, they come free on social media. Write – and let them critique you. It will do you right.

Additionally, avoid using complicated English. As a law student, and particularly, one that is training in Zambia – there is this tendency to try and use big and useless words. Do not use those useless words. They are useless. Stop the corrupted Latin. If a legal concept can be expressed in English, use English rather than Latin. If you use a Latin expression, make sure that you define it.

Fifth, find someone who can review your work. Now, this is a considerable challenge. Most reviewers and editors are extremely busy. I personally struggle to find time to write my articles, and so your writing or your essays will not be a priority for me to review or proof-read. However, work with the schedule of the person you wish to discuss your work. Kindly ask them if they can read your work and make some suggestions. I do not know about others, but for me, I would rather discuss with the student via a phone call than give them written feedback. This way, I save a tone of time for myself. And so, if you have someone to review your work, treat them well, tell them when you are open for a phone call and when the phone call rings, answer. Your professors and other mentors are busy people. You may wish to know that most law professors in Zambia have massive side gigs going. Pay attention to them. Work around their schedule.

It is bad manners for you to contact a professor or mentor, and then conveniently forget about the fact that you contacted them in the first place. Some of them want to help genuinely. Be the one to follow-up on them. If you are using social media to contact these people, here is a simple rule about social media, do not take it personally if they do not respond to your inbox message. However, as a general rule, give it a week or two and then contact them again. You may repeat this weekly or so. But if they do not get back to you, move on and do not take it personally. If you have other ways of reaching them – do that.

Another tip for social media is this. If you have to contact any prospective mentor, please avoid starting the conversation with the annoying “hi”, or “hello”, or worse still the hand memes or stuff like that. Be direct and straight to the point. Remember that most mentors use Facebook to socialise and not to work; however, the direct you are with them, the better. For example, greet them and then introduce what you are looking for. This person will have a few minutes to decide whether they will respond or not. If they choose not to respond, at least let them be aware of what you are about. You can say something like:

“Dear Ms Chite or Mr Chite – I have written Chapter One of my dissertation, I am looking for someone of your calibre to have a look at it. It will take no more than an hour, but your help will go along way in helping me complete my studies…blah blah…blah.”

Sixth, avoid plagiarism. Do not steal someone else’s ideas as your own. Make sure that you cite all the borrowed materials and designs. Saying “stolen” on a Facebook post does not cut it. Make it a habit of having correct citations in your documents. If you have to quote as an article on eliasmunshya.org blog, we have suggested citations on many of our items. Use those guidelines. But as a general rule – do not steal written material that is not yours.

Lastly, here are some dissertation ideas and topics. They are still in their infancy here, and it will take time to perfect them. I generally lean towards more fundamental questions of the law. And so I hope this will give you some ideas:

• A comparison of the composition of the Zambian and South African Constitutional Courts;
• A review of the growing Constitutional Court jurisprudence in Zambia;
• Zambia’s Women Judges: An analysis of their stories;
• Legal Regulation in Zambia: A comparative study of Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe;
• Disbarments in Zambia: The law and practice;
• Zambia’s Chief Justices: their history and philosophy of the law;
• Child marriages in Zambia: the law and the constitution;
• A review of law school curricula in Zambian law schools;
• The ethics of bar admission in Zambia and Namibia;
• The Constitutional Court of Zambia and its jurisdiction over the Bill of rights; issues and solutions;
• The dissenter: An analysis of Justice Munalula’s dissenting opinions in Zambia’s Constitutional Court;
• A review of Justice Mumba Malila’s judicial philosophy;
• Syntax and grammar – a review of the language used by the Supreme Court in the 1990s;
• Simplifying Zambia’s civil procedure rules;
• Facebook Lawyers: implications of the rise of social media on lawyer ethics;
• Studying the Law in the age of Facebook: An analysis of Facebook lawyers and Facebook groups for law students;
• Practice Beyond Borders: Implications of the transnational practice of law;
• Judges and Magistrates: An analysis of their conditions of service and its impact on judicial independence;
• A review of local court practice;
• Access to Justice – a review of the Zambia Legal Aid Board’s work in Milenge;
• The Law of the Seas and Waters in Zambia;
• Climate Change and the law in Zambia;
• Who Owns the Mosi-O-Tunya?: International Law and tourism cooperation;
• Meheba Camp and Citizenship: Implications of Zambian citizenship for regional refugees;
• The Laws of identity: a comparative study of National Registration Identity Cards in Zambia and Malawi;
• The law regulating accountants in Zambia;
• The law regulating engineers in Zambia;
• Nurses and the Law – implications for practice ethics;
• The Barotseland Agreement of 1964: its constitutional place in the new Zambia;

You can add to this list and I hope these topics can spur you towards more study.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Elias Munshya is a legal practitioner of the Alberta bar, and holds several degrees in law, counselling (psychology), business administration and theology. He can be reached at [email protected]

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7 responses to “Writing to Pass: My Dissertation Advice to Law Students”

This is insightful. As a Law student, this has really helped me to consider which topic to research on

This has really helped me to find my research topic

Thank you very much, this was insightful.

This is a brilliant and most helpful write up Counsel. For those desiring to write their dissertations, the piece provides very useful hints. I value this contribution

Thanks for the dissertation ideas.

Regards Kafula

On Mon, Dec 30, 2019, 07:58 Elias Munshya, LL.M, MBA, M.DIV. wrote:

> Elias Munshya, MBA, LLM, MA, MDIV posted: “By Elias Munshya Occasionally, > law students from Zambian law schools do contact me for some “dissertation > ideas”. Some find our blog very helpful in helping them narrow down a topic > or two. While http://www.eliasmunshya.org is meant for the general audience, we > ” >

Great insights Elias. Always love reading your blog! Season greetings!

Thank you very for sharing. I am qualified chartered accountant and pursuing an MBA. I also intend to study Law in the coming years. I believe this will post will be of great help.

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How To Find A High-Quality Research Topic

6 steps to find & evaluate high-quality dissertation/thesis topics.

By: Caroline Osella (PhD, BA)  and Derek Jansen (MBA) | July 2019

So, you’re finally nearing the end of your degree and it’s now time to find a suitable topic for your dissertation or thesis. Or perhaps you’re just starting out on your PhD research proposal and need to find a suitable area of research for your application proposal.

In this post, we’ll provide a straightforward 6-step process that you can follow to ensure you arrive at a high-quality research topic . Follow these steps and you will formulate a well-suited, well-defined core research question .

There’s a helpful clue already: your research ‘topic’ is best understood as a research question or a problem . Your aim is not to create an encyclopedia entry into your field, but rather to shed light on an acknowledged issue that’s being debated (or needs to be). Think research  questions , not research  topics  (we’ll come back to this later).

Overview: How To Find & Choose A Research Topic

• Get an understanding of the research process
• Review previous dissertations from your university
• Review the academic literature to start the ideation process
• Identify your potential research questions (topics) and shortlist
• Narrow down, then evaluate your research topic shortlist
• Make the decision (and stick with it!)

Step 1: Understand the research process

It may sound horribly obvious, but it’s an extremely common mistake – students skip past the fundamentals straight to the ideation phase (and then pay dearly for it).

Start by looking at whatever handouts and instructions you’ve been given regarding what your university/department expects of a dissertation. For example, the course handbook, online information and verbal in-class instructions. I know it’s tempting to just dive into the ideation process, but it’s essential to start with the prescribed material first.

There are two important reasons for this:

First , you need to have a basic understanding of the research process , research methodologies , fieldwork options and analysis methods before you start the ideation process, or you will simply not be equipped to think about your own research adequately. If you don’t understand the basics of  quantitative , qualitative and mixed methods BEFORE you start ideating, you’re wasting your time.

Second , your university/department will have specific requirements for your research – for example, requirements in terms of topic originality, word count, data requirements, ethical adherence, methodology, etc. If you are not aware of these from the outset, you will again end up wasting a lot of time on irrelevant ideas/topics.

So, the most important first step is to get your head around both the basics of research (especially methodologies), as well as your institution’s specific requirements . Don’t give in to the temptation to jump ahead before you do this. As a starting point, be sure to check out our free dissertation course.

Step 2: Review past dissertations/theses

Unless you’re undertaking a completely new course, there will be many, many students who have gone through the research process before and have produced successful dissertations, which you can use to orient yourself. This is hugely beneficial – imagine being able to see previous students’ assignments and essays when you were doing your coursework!

Take a look at some well-graded (65% and above) past dissertations from your course (ideally more recent ones, as university requirements may change over time). These are usually available in the university’s online library. Past dissertations will act as a helpful model for all kinds of things, from how long a bibliography needs to be, to what a good literature review looks like, through to what kinds of methods you can use – and how to leverage them to support your argument.

As you peruse past dissertations, ask yourself the following questions:

• What kinds of topics did these dissertations cover and how did they turn the topic into questions?
• How broad or narrow were the topics?
• How original were the topics? Were they truly groundbreaking or just a localised twist on well-established theory?
• How well justified were the topics? Did they seem important or just nice to know?
• How much literature did they draw on as a theoretical base? Was the literature more academic or applied in nature?
• What kinds of research methods did they use and what data did they draw on?
• How did they analyse that data and bring it into the discussion of the academic literature?
• Which of the dissertations are most readable to you – why? How were they presented?
• Can you see why these dissertations were successful? Can you relate what they’ve done back to the university’s instructions/brief?

Seeing a variety of dissertations (at least 5, ideally in your area of interest) will also help you understand whether your university has very rigid expectations in terms of structure and format , or whether they expect and allow variety in the number of chapters, chapter headings, order of content, style of presentation and so on.

Some departments accept graphic novels; some are willing to grade free-flow continental-philosophy style arguments; some want a highly rigid, standardised structure.  Many offer a dissertation template , with information on how marks are split between sections. Check right away whether you have been given one of those templates – and if you do, then use it and don’t try to deviate or reinvent the wheel.

Step 3: Review the academic literature

Now that you (1) understand the research process, (2) understand your university’s specific requirements for your dissertation or thesis, and (3) have a feel for what a good dissertation looks like, you can start the ideation process. This is done by reviewing the current literature and looking for opportunities to add something original to the academic conversation.

Kick start the ideation process

So, where should you start your literature hunt? The best starting point is to get back to your modules. Look at your coursework and the assignments you did. Using your coursework is the best theoretical base, as you are assured that (1) the literature is of a high enough calibre for your university and (2) the topics are relevant to your specific course.

Start by identifying the modules that interested you the most and that you understood well (i.e. earned good marks for). What were your strongest assignments, essays or reports? Which areas within these were particularly interesting to you? For example, within a marketing module, you may have found consumer decision making or organisation trust to be interesting. Create a shortlist of those areas that you were both interested in and academically strong at. It’s no use picking an area that does not genuinely interest you – you’ll run out of motivation if you’re not excited by a topic.

Understand the current state of knowledge

Once you’ve done that, you need to get an understanding of the current state of the literature for your chosen interest areas. What you’re aiming to understand is this: what is the academic conversation here and what critical questions are yet unanswered? These unanswered questions are prime opportunities for a unique, meaningful research topic . A quick review of the literature on your favourite topics will help you understand this.

Grab your reading list from the relevant section of the modules, or simply enter the topics into Google Scholar . Skim-read 3-5 journal articles from the past 5 years which have at least 5 citations each (Google Scholar or a citations index will show you how many citations any given article has – i.e., how many other people have referred to it in their own bibliography). Also, check to see if your discipline has an ‘annual review’ type of journal, which gathers together surveys of the state of knowledge on a chosen topic. This can be a great tool for fast-tracking your understanding of the current state of the knowledge in any given area.

Start from your course’s reading list and work outwards. At the end of every journal article, you’ll find a reference list. Scan this reference list for more relevant articles and read those. Then repeat the process (known as snowballing) until you’ve built up a base of 20-30 quality articles per area of interest.

Absorb, don’t hunt

At this stage, your objective is to read and understand the current state of the theory for your area(s) of interest – you don’t need to be in topic-hunting mode yet. Don’t jump the gun and try to identify research topics before you are well familiarised with the literature.

As you read, try to understand what kinds of questions people are asking and how they are trying to answer them. What matters do the researchers agree on, and more importantly, what are they in disagreement about? Disagreements are prime research territory. Can you identify different ‘schools of thought’ or different ‘approaches’? Do you know what your own approach or slant is? What kinds of articles appeal to you and which ones bore you or leave you feeling like you’ve not really grasped them? Which ones interest you and point towards directions you’d like to research and know more about?

Once you understand the fundamental fact that academic knowledge is a conversation, things get easier.

Think of it like a party. There are groups of people in the room, enjoying conversations about various things. Which group do you want to join?  You don’t want to be that person in the corner, talking to themself. And you don’t want to be the hanger-on, laughing at the big-shot’s jokes and repeating everything they say.

Do you want to join a large group and try to make a small contribution to what’s going on, or are you drawn to a smaller group that’s having a more niche conversation, but where you feel you might more easily find something original to contribute? How many conversations can you identify? Which ones feel closer to you and more attractive? Which ones repel you or leave you cold? Are there some that, frankly, you just don’t understand?

Now, choose a couple of groups who are discussing something you feel interested in and where you feel like you might want to contribute. You want to make your entry into this group by asking a question – a question that will make the other people in the group turn around and look at you, listen to you, and think, “That’s interesting”.

Your dissertation will be the process of setting that question and then trying to find at least a partial answer to that question – but don’t worry about that now.  Right now, you need to work out what conversations are going on, whether any of them are related or overlapping, and which ones you might be able to walk into. I’ll explain how you find that question in the next step.

Need a helping hand?

Step 4: Identify potential research questions

Now that you have a decent understanding of the state of the literature in your area(s) of interest, it’s time to start developing your list of possible research topics. There are (at least) three approaches you can follow here, and they are not mutually exclusive:

Approach 1: Leverage the FRIN

Towards the end of most quality journal articles, you will find a section labelled “ further research ” or something similar. Generally, researchers will clearly outline where they feel further research is needed (FRIN), following on from their own research. So, essentially, every journal article presents you with a list of potential research opportunities.

Of course, only a handful of these will be both practical and of interest to you, so it’s not a quick-fix solution to finding a research topic. However, the benefit of going this route is that you will be able to find a genuinely original and meaningful research topic (which is particularly important for PhD-level research).

The upside to this approach is originality, but the downside is that you might not find something that really interests you , or that you have the means to execute. If you do go this route, make sure that you pay attention to the journal article dates, as the FRIN may already have been “solved” by other researchers if the article is old.

Approach 2: Put a context-based spin on an existing topic

The second option is to consider whether a theory which is already well established is relevant within a local or industry-specific context. For example, a theory about the antecedents (drivers) of trust is very well established, but there may be unique or uniquely important drivers within a specific national context or industry (for example, within the financial services industry in an emerging market).

If that industry or national context has not yet been covered by researchers and there is a good reason to believe there may be meaningful differences within that context, then you have an opportunity to take a unique angle on well-established theory, which can make for a great piece of research. It is however imperative that you have a good reason to believe that the existing theory may not be wholly relevant within your chosen context, or your research will not be justified.

The upside to this approach is that you can potentially find a topic that is “closer to home” and more relevant and interesting to you , while still being able to draw on a well-established body of theory. However, the downside is that this approach will likely not produce the level of originality as approach #1.

Approach 3: Uncensored brainstorming

The third option is to skip the FRIN, as well as the local/industry-specific angle and simply engage in a freeform brainstorming or mind-mapping session, using your newfound knowledge of the theory to formulate potential research ideas. What’s important here is that you do not censor yourself . However crazy, unfeasible, or plain stupid your topic appears – write it down. All that matters right now is that you are interested in this thing.

Next, try to turn the topic(s) into a question or problem. For example:

• What is the relationship between X, Y & Z?
• What are the drivers/antecedents of X?
• What are the outcomes of Y?
• What are the key success factors for Z?

Re-word your list of topics or issues into a list of questions .  You might find at this stage that one research topic throws up three questions (which then become sub-topics and even new separate topics in their own right) and in so doing, the list grows. Let it. Don’t hold back or try to start evaluating your ideas yet – just let them flow onto paper.

Once you’ve got a few topics and questions on paper, check the literature again to see whether any of these have been covered by the existing research. Since you came up with these from scratch, there is a possibility that your original literature search did not cover them, so it’s important to revisit that phase to ensure that you’re familiar with the relevant literature for each idea. You may also then find that approach #1 and #2 can be used to build on these ideas.

Try use all three approaches

As mentioned earlier, the three approaches discussed here are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the more, the merrier. Hopefully, you manage to utilise all three, as this will give you the best odds of producing a rich list of ideas, which you can then narrow down and evaluate, which is the next step.

Step 5: Narrow down, then evaluate

By this stage, you should have a healthy list of research topics. Step away from the ideation and thinking for a few days, clear your mind. The key is to get some distance from your ideas, so that you can sit down with your list and review it with a more objective view. The unbridled ideation phase is over and now it’s time to take a reality check .

Look at your list and see if any options can be crossed off right away .  Maybe you don’t want to do that topic anymore. Maybe the topic turned out to be too broad and threw up 20 hard to answer questions. Maybe all the literature you found about it was 30 years old and you suspect it might not be a very engaging contemporary issue . Maybe this topic is so over-researched that you’ll struggle to find anything fresh to say. Also, after stepping back, it’s quite common to notice that 2 or 3 of your topics are really the same one, the same question, which you’ve written down in slightly different ways. You can try to amalgamate these into one succinct topic.

Narrow down to the top 5, then evaluate

Now, take your streamlined list and narrow it down to the ‘top 5’ that interest you the most. Personal interest is your key evaluation criterion at this stage. Got your ‘top 5’?  Great!  Now, with a cool head and your best analytical mind engaged, go systematically through each option and evaluate them against the following criteria:

Research questions – what is the main research question, and what are the supporting sub-questions? It’s critically important that you can define these questions clearly and concisely. If you cannot do this, it means you haven’t thought the topic through sufficiently.

Originality – is the topic sufficiently original, as per your university’s originality requirements? Are you able to add something unique to the existing conversation? As mentioned earlier, originality can come in many forms, and it doesn’t mean that you need to find a completely new, cutting-edge topic. However, your university’s requirements should guide your decision-making here.

Importance – is the topic of real significance, or is it just a “nice to know”? If it’s significant, why? Who will benefit from finding the answer to your desired questions and how will they benefit? Justifying your research will be a key requirement for your research proposal , so it’s really important to develop a convincing argument here.

Literature – is there a contemporary (current) body of academic literature around this issue? Is there enough literature for you to base your investigation on, but not too much that the topic is “overdone”? Will you be able to navigate this literature or is it overwhelming?

Data requirements – What kind of data would you need access to in order to answer your key questions?  Would you need to adopt a qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods approach to answer your questions? At this stage, you don’t need to be able to map out your exact research design, but you should be able to articulate how you would approach it in high-level terms. Will you use qual, quant or mixed methods? Why?

Feasibility – How feasible would it be to gather the data that would be needed in the time-frame that you have – and do you have the will power and the skills to do it? If you’re not confident with the theory, you don’t want something that’s going to draw you into a debate about the relative importance of epistemology and ontology. If you are shy, you won’t want to be doing ethnographic interviews. If you feel this question calls for a 100-person survey, do you have the time to plan, organise and conduct it and then analyse it? What will you do if you don’t get the response rate you expect? Be very realistic here and also ask advice from your supervisor and other experts – poor response rates are extremely common and can derail even the best research projects.

Personal attraction – On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about this topic? Will addressing it add value to your life and/or career? Will undertaking the project help you build a skill you’ve previously wanted to work on (for example, interview skills, statistical analysis skills, software skills, etc.)?

The last point is particularly important. You will have to engage with your dissertation in a very sustained and deep way, face challenges and difficulties, and get it to completion. If you don’t start out enthusiastic about it, you’re setting yourself up for problems like ‘writer’s block’ or ‘burnout’ down the line. This is the reason personal interest was the sole evaluation criterion when we chose the top 5. So, don’t underestimate the importance of personal attraction to a topic – at the same time, don’t let personal attraction lead you to choose a topic that is not relevant to your course or feasible given your resources. 

Narrow down to 3, then get human feedback

We’re almost at the finishing line. The next step is to narrow down to 2 or 3 shortlisted topics. No more!  Write a short paragraph about each topic, addressing the following:

Firstly,  WHAT will this study be about? Frame the topic as a question or a problem. Write it as a dissertation title. No more than two clauses and no more than 15 words. Less than 15 is better (go back to good journal articles for inspiration on appropriate title styles).

Secondly, WHY this is interesting (original) and important – as proven by existing academic literature? Are people talking about this and is there an acknowledged problem, debate or gap in the literature?

Lastly,  HOW do you plan to answer the question? What sub-questions will you use? What methods does this call for and how competent and confident are you in those methods? Do you have the time to gather the data this calls for?

Show the shortlist and accompanying paragraphs to a couple of your peers from your course and also to an expert or two if at all possible (you’re welcome to reach out to us ), explaining what you will investigate, why this is original and important and how you will go about investigating it. 

Once you’ve pitched your ideas, ask for the following thoughts :

• Which is most interesting and appealing to them?
• Why do they feel this way?
• What problems do they foresee with the execution of the research?

Take advice and feedback and sit on it for another day. Let it simmer in your mind overnight before you make the final decision.  

Step 6: Make the decision (and stick with it!)

Then, make the commitment. Choose the one that you feel most confident about, having now considered both your opinion and the feedback from others.

Once you’ve made a decision, don’t doubt your judgement, don’t shift.  Don’t be tempted by the ones you left behind. You’ve planned and thought things through, checked feasibility and now you can start.  You have your research topic. Trust your own decision-making process and stick with it now. It’s time to get started on your research proposal!

Let’s recap…

In this post, I’ve proposed a straightforward 6-step plan to finding relevant research topic ideas and then narrowing them down to finally choose one winner. To recap:

• Understand the basics of academic research, as well as your university’s specific requirements for a dissertation, thesis or research project.
• Review previous dissertations for your course to get an idea of both topics and structure.
• Start the ideation process by familiarising yourself with the literature.
• Identify your potential research questions (topics).
• Narrow down your options, then evaluate systematically.
• Make your decision (and don’t look back!)

If you follow these steps, you’ll find that they also set you up for what’s coming next – both the proposal and the first three chapters of your dissertation. But that’s for future posts!

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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23 Comments

I would love to get a topic under teachers performance. I am a student of MSC Monitoring and Evaluations and I need a topic in the line of monitoring and evaluations

I just we put for some full notes that are payable

Thank you very much Dr Caroline

I need a project topics on transfer of learning

m a PhD Student I would like to be assisted inn formulating a title around: Internet of Things for online education in higher education – STEM (Science, technology, engineering and Mathematics, digital divide ) Thank you, would appreciate your guidance

Well structured guide on the topic… Good materials for beginners in research writing…

Hello Iam kindly seeking for help in formulating a researchable topic for masters degree program in line with teaching GRAPHIC ART

I read a thesis about a problem in a particular. Can I use the same topic just referring to my own country? Is that being original? The interview questions will mostly be the same as the other thesis.

Hi, thanks I managed to listen to the video so helpful indeed. I am currently an MBA student looking for a specific topic and I have different ideas that not sure they can be turned to be a study.

I am doing a Master of Theology in Pastoral Care and Counselling and I felt like doing research on Spiritual problem cause by substance abuse among Youth. Can I get help to formulate the Thesis Title in line with it…please

Hello, I am kindly seeking help in formulating a researchable topic for a National diploma program

As a beginner in research, I am very grateful for this well-structured material on research writing.

Hello, I watched the video and its very helpful. I’m a student in Nursing (degree). May you please help me with any research problems (in Namibian society or Nursing) that need to be evaluate or solved?

I have been greatly impacted. Thank you.

more than useful… there will be no justification if someone fails to get a topic for his thesis

I watched the video and its really helpful.

How can i started discovery

Analysing the significance of Integrated reporting in Zimbabwe. A case of institutional investors. this is my topic for PHD Accounting sciences need help with research questions

Excellent session that cleared lots of doubts.

Excellent session that cleared lots of doubts

It was a nice one thank you

Wow, This helped a lot not only with how to find a research topic but inspired me to kick it off from now, I am a final year student of environmental science. And have to complete my project in the coming six months.

I was really stressed and thinking about different topics that I don’t know nothing about and having more than a hundred topics in the baggage, couldn’t make the tradeoff among them, however, reading this scrubbed the fuzzy layer off my head and now it seems like really easy.

Thanks GRADCOACH, you saved me from getting into the rabbit hole.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Broadcasting – Law and legislation – Zambia'

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Consult the top 16 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Broadcasting – Law and legislation – Zambia.'

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Hamasaka, Clayson. "The impact of the broadcast legislative reforms on the newsroom staff's perceptions of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)'s editorial operations and news content." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002886.

Lane, Karen Lesley. "Broadcasting, democracy and localism : a study of broadcasting policy in Australia from the 1920s to the 1980s." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1987. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phl2651.pdf.

Siame, Chilengwe George. "Broadening the tax base: a case for the informal real estate sector in Zambia." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003852.

Sundstrom, Linda-Marie. "Internet radio: Identifying administrative and regulatory gaps in a cyberspace world without borders." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2002. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2137.

Simard, Marie-Pierre. "Accord sur les aspects des droits de proprieté intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce : la licence obligatoire de câblodistribution canado-américaine y survivra-t-elle?" Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=33368.

Jjuuko, Denis Charles. "Understanding editorial independence and public accountability issues in public broadcasting service : a study of the editorial policies at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) /." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2005. http://eprints.ru.ac.za/261/.

Makano, Rosemary Fumpa. "Does institutional capacity matter? a case study of the Zambian Forestry Department /." Diss., St. Louis, Mo. : University of Missouri--St. Louis, 2008. http://etd.umsl.edu/r3321.

Brand, Robert Christian. "The King Commission live : an examination of the legal and ethical considerations involved in broadcasts of judicial proceedings." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52545.

Nakazwe, Mbita. "Food legislation in third world countries : a case study of Zambia." Thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/5291.

Kongwa, Susan Lungowe. "Privatisation and its impact on human rights : a case study of the Zambian privatisation programme, 1991-2001." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/9518.

Zulu, Paul. "The importance of legislation in the provision of national and public library services in Zambia." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18572.

Ngubane, Zwakele B. "The governance and regulation of the South African broadcasting industry : a case study of the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2230.

Sebola, Kgabo Reginald. "Principles of corporate governance with specific reference to the case of South African Broadcasting Corporation (LTD) V Mpofu [2009] 4 all SA 169. (GSJ)." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/713.

Saurombe, Nampombe Pearson. "Public programming of public archives in the East and Southern Africa regional branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA):." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/20084.

Ngatia, Lucy Wambui. "Gender and equality : male broadcasters' perceptions of gender-based affirmative action at the SABC KwaZulu-Natal." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4795.

Khosa, Miyelani. "The interplay of sector regulators and competition authorities in regulating competition in telecomunications : the south African case." Diss., 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/3576.

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