Choosing topics

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Start with a topic, not a project

It's tempting to shoot immediately for a viable project, especially when you've been assigned a research proposal or have a brownbag coming up. But before you dive into specific project ideas, spend some time thinking about the right topic.

What's a topic?

It's something broader than a project but narrower than a field. Within labor economics, some examples would be "the economics of working conditions", "racial disparities in labor market outcomes", or "the labor market for health care workers". A useful test: can you see it as the title of your dissertation? Or would it sound too narrow, too broad, or simply unimportant?

What's a promising topic?

A promising topic is one that interests you, connects to prior research, and has a plausible path forward in terms of concepts, data, and methodology. Think about what you want to study, and solicit feedback from advisors, who have the experience to judge whether a topic is promising. Once you have a topic (or two), you can focus on generating specific ideas.

Topics facilitate idea generation

Most projects fail, and you don't want to start from scratch when a project falls through. But if you've staked out a topic, you can recycle more of what you've learned about open questions, available data, and potential sources of variation. Developing topical expertise will speed up the process of triaging ideas—both recognizing the good ones and discarding the bad ones.

Topics help you develop a research identity

Working within a well-defined topical area will equip you with a coherent research identity and the beginnings of a longer-term research agenda. By contrast, focusing too narrowly on project viability can leave you with a portfolio of unrelated, one-off projects in areas where you don't have deep expertise.

Develop topical expertise

Get to know the literature, the open questions, the institutional context, and the relevant data. You'll develop ideas more quickly, and you'll be able to move quickly once you identify a promising idea. Over time, you'll also become recognized as an expert, opening doors to collaboration, conferences, and grant opportunities.

If a topic isn't working out, switch

Your interest in a topic might wane, or you might hit roadblocks in terms of data or methodology. If you're stuck, try something else.

Some perspectives on generating ideas: