Start with a decision, not a broad subject
Marketing, finance and HR are fields, not research topics. Begin with a decision or problem faced by a defined organisation, customer group or sector. Ask what relationship, difference or outcome you want to understand.
Use five feasibility checks
- Relevance: does the question matter to managers or stakeholders?
- Access: can you realistically reach respondents or data?
- Measurement: can the main concepts be observed reliably?
- Scope: can the work be completed before the deadline?
- Fit: does it meet programme and supervisor expectations?
Turn the idea into a focused title
Replace broad wording with the key variables, target population and context. For example, move from ‘digital marketing’ to ‘The relationship between short-form video engagement and purchase intention among urban consumers’. Avoid promising causation unless the design can establish it.
Validate before collecting data
Read recent academic work, identify what is already known, draft objectives and map each objective to evidence you can collect. Pilot the questionnaire before the full survey. A small correction at this stage can prevent unusable results later.