Hi Gidget,

I just logged on to PGforum to start a thread along the lines of "thesis topic - help!!" as i, like you, am trying to decide upon a topic to research and write a proposal around, but every time I think BINGO, I do a little google-ing only to find it's been done already :( I was quite relieved to find your post to be honest (I know that doesn't help you but it's nice to know I/we are not alone in our concerns).
My field is Women's Studies - coming from a postmodern angle and i want to research around Cyberculture as this is what I focused on within my MA. I too really, really want to do a PhD and I was advised to do so after my MA so it's something I am really passionate about. I thought I had got the subject decided upon and have started the proposal, did a little more literature searching this morning to find a bloody book that looks and sounds like it has come out of my own head :-s
The only thing I can say really is that although the subject may have been looked at previously, you may find that you are coming from a different angle/perspective or perhaps you could 'tweak' it a little? I know this is difficult, the book I found this morning looks as though it's written from the same perspective as mine would be - it's very disheartening isn't it? And i feel like I am driving myself a bit crazy - obsessing over finding this unique, undiscovered topic that doesn't seem to exist!

Are you able to speak to your MA tutors? I graduated a few years ago now and am trying to get in contact with one tutor specifically but can't seem to - which again, is frustrating and disheartening.

Something I find quite useful is to brainstorm (mind-map, whatever) my research interests onto a big sheet of paper and look at threads attached to each topic/area - or questions I would like answered. This helps to remind myself what my interests and passions are, and also helps me to re-focus on the subject after hours of going over it in my head and transgressing so far away from the original subject I lose myself in it!!!

Well I don't feel like I have been much help - but I *do know* how you feel ;) let me know how you get on;-)

this may just be me, but I remember - when writing up my MA diss - being at my most productive whilst listening to drum&bass - I agree, I can't listen to anything with lyrics as I find it too off-putting, but somehow the beat/bass was very motivating! I have a VERY diverse taste in music, so it's not just that I am massive d&b anyway... but I do understand that d&b isn't to everyone's taste. Also, I found having a supply of boiled sweets or mints to suck on helped with my concentration - I always had a bag of murray mints on the go in my undergrad years too. strange.

great replies - thanks :) and it's so nice to hear from other WS (or similiar) students.
I focused my MA diss on alternative pornography, cyberspace and alter ego's - which I really enjoyed, got completely obsessed with and because of this got a great mark. Therefore, I think I should continue with the cyberspace/alter ego theme - I *think* I have decided on something (ha ha)... but am likely to change my mind in about an hour!!
Thanks again for your replies - keep in touch (up)

Hello,
I am still trying to decide on a topic for my PhD research. I really want to get a proposal done SOON :-s but think I am putting too much pressure on myself and over-thinking it.
Anyway, I did my Undergrad and MA in Women's Studies and just wondered if there were any fellow WS researchers involved in this forum :-)

ps, have you spoken to your current tutors about this? They should be more than willing to talk it through with you...

Hey,

I self-funded my part-time MA by working full-time and am now just putting a proposal together and funding app for my PhD. I think if it's something you know you're good at, and something you are passionate about then go for it - there are several funding options out there (I'm afraid your subject is not my subject so I can't give you any specific advice!)... but I totally empathise with the 'what a waste if I don't do this' thought :) Good luck

Hi,
I got 87% in my Women's Studies MA... whilst doing a full-time job at the same time. (I did the MA part time over 2 years). I would agree with all of the above - I would add that personally, I was so, so passionate about the subject I had chosen and felt this was a huge part of my success. I thought about it every minute of every day - not sure if that was healthy or not but it worked! I also managed to find a 'niche' that hadn't been looked at before, so that helped in getting me over the threshhold for original thought, along with some theory development.
Good Luck (up)

whoops. I replied to Natassia about a million times, and I'm thinking of a PhD. Pah!

Thanks Button, this is really reassuring! I hope to continue along the same lines as my MA diss, so hopefully that shows a level of commitment! Congrats on getting funding, that must be such a relief - and means you can get on with your MA without worrying about the next stage (I hope?!).
I will certainly call on you if I need any advice - thanks for the offer.
Good luck with your MA :)

Thank you Natassia - that sounds like good advice. I am not currently at Uni but have been in touch with my supervisors from my MA. I am indeed in the social sciences field.
Your topic sounds great - I currently work in supported housing, in a Women's mental well-being project so I am aware of the IAPT teams and am eager to point our clients in their direction! It all sounds like a really positive idea so I hope it works out. Very new, fresh and extremely important so your research sounds like a fab idea. Good luck :)