How did come up with your PhD topic? Did you have an idea to start with, or did you go out with the intention of finding an area in which there was a lack of work? I want to do a PhD in social sciences, but am at a loss for what to do as a topic. Just wanted to know how you went about with the whole process?

Hey abs08,

when I started my PhD, the only thing I knew was that I didn't want to deal with the same topic again that I had worked on in my master's thesis (I am in Economics). So basically, I started reading whatever articles interested me and that way determined that education economics was still my preferred area of research. Then I started looking for aspects that might be interesting and that hadn't been worked on. After about half a year, I decided I had taken enough of a break and started working on my master's thesis topic once again. I am still happy with it!

I also found it helps to write every little idea down somewhere. Even if it is small and not really an idea, it helps to have it on paper. And you never know, maybe when you read it a couple of weeks later it will prove to be useful.

Good luck!

my inspiration for the Phd (I'm in sociology) came from an event that
I was deeply moved aboput - a peaceful demonstration in Poland last year that was broken up by the police, 70 people arrested just because they wanted to show their support for gay and lesbian rights - before I had been planning to concentrate on something else but then got into the whole social movement stuff and public protest and was fascinated.

I posted exactly the same thing about a year ago when I was trying to decide my topic (social sciences). Everyone kept telling me I would 'fall' into it - I couldn't believe that would be true and kept worrying and worrying and guess what...I 'fell' into my topic! Think about the general area you want. I think I always knew deep down what I wanted to do, but it is a heavily researched topic so I was scared I wouldn't be 'original', but there is always scope to find your area of new research. It is very scary when you can choose your own topic and I was always jealous of those with funded topics who got told their subject area. But you have to be definite a commit to a subject area - you'll just flap until you do. Think about what you enjoy (and what you're good at!) and start reading around until you carve out your research