Deciding on a topic to study
Assuming you have a choice, this important decision should be researched
carefully. Make appointments to visit possible supervisors and ask them for
advice on topics that you find interesting. Use library texts and research
papers to obtain further background information. Perhaps the most
important criterion is whether the topic will sustain your interest over the
whole period of the project. Other things to look for include:
- Opportunities to learn new skills. Ideally, you should attempt to gain
experience and skills that you might be able to 'sell' to a potential
employer.
- Ease of obtaining valid results. An ideal project provides a means to
obtain 'guaranteed' data for your report, but also the chance to extend
knowledge by doing genuinely novel research.
- Assistance. What help will be available to you during the project? A busy
lab with many research students might provide a supportive environment
should your potential supervisor be too busy to meet you often; on the
other hand, a smaller lab may provide the opportunity for more personal
interaction with your supervisor.
- Impact. It is not outside the bounds of possibility for undergraduate
work to contribute to research papers. Your prospective supervisor can
alert you to such opportunities.
- Success. You are doing a research project and it may not always provide
a positive result. Negative results are just as useful.
