I'm an MSc. grad student still in the premaster phase and I haven't yet decided my area of interest for my thesis. I want to plan ahead and see what I can do to find the general scope of my future research interests (5-10 years maybe). I'm not even sure if this can be done so early in my academic career, but I kind of believe that I can do much better when I love what I do.
As a researcher, how can you find out what research topics that are more likely to fall under your area of interests?
First you have to select the interdisciplinary or specialised field for your research for eg - Hydrogeology / Hydrogeological application of env.engineering .https://www.researchgate.net/post/Do_You_like_Specialized_Research_or_Interdisciplinary_Research
I am assuming that your program has a curriculum with a selection of courses, some required and some you can choose from. In those courses you will read broadly and learn about the topics covered in the courses as well as the specific areas of expertise of each of your professors. In this way, you'll be introduced to a range of content in the general field. As you go through those courses and receive mentorship from your professors, you will find narrower topics that will interest you, which will allow you to hopefully find the more precise area that you want to study.
But you must also keep in mind the avenues of research that are feasible to you in your environment and field of study. For instance. you might have interest in studying neurological issues that require fMRI, but if your university does not have access to labs that offer that technology, then that is not a practical option for your research.
When I was doing my PhD in educational psychology and studying human cognition, my interests focused on reading comprehension in teenagers and young adults which worked well in practical terms because I was teaching in schools where students of that age could serve as participants. Now, a decade later, my interests have shifted to conspiratorial thinking and religious and political ideology in adults, topics I have long been interested in, but only now have become more accessible to me at the university level.
So you will read and study more broadly now and narrow your interests as you learn. But you must also be sure to keep your focus on areas that you can realistically pursue.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Computer Science
- Research Topics