The document provides 7 steps for choosing a research topic: 1. Brainstorm potential topics of interest 2. Read general background information on potential topics 3. Narrow your topic to make it manageable in scope 4. Make a list of keywords related to your topic 5. Be flexible and willing to modify your topic based on available information 6. Define your topic as a focused research question using PICO elements 7. Research and read more about your topic to determine feasibility and availability of information to answer your research question.

1. How to ChooseHow to Choose
ResearchTopicResearchTopic
Dr Faisal Al Haddad
Consultant of Family Medicine & Occupational Health
Director of Bed Management Department, KFHH
Trainer-Saudi Board of Family Medicine
PHC CBAHI Surveyor

2. Step 1: Brainstorm for ideasStep 1: Brainstorm for ideas
 Choose a topic that interests you
 Do you have a strong opinion on a current medical
controversy?
 Did you read a newspaper article, or see a TV
broadcast recently that piqued your curiosity?
 Do you have a personal issue, problem, or interest
you'd like to know more about?
 Is there an aspect of one of your courses you are
interested in learning more about?

3. Step 2: Read generalStep 2: Read general
background informationbackground information
Read a general information on the topic you are
considering to get an overview of the topic.
 If you can't find an article on your topic, try using
broader terms and ask for help from a librarian.
Use online databases to scan current articles on
the topic.
Use web search engines to find web sites on the
topic.

4. Step 3: Focus in on your topicStep 3: Focus in on your topic
 Keep it manageable. A topic will be very difficult to research if it is
too broad, or too narrow.
◦ Lung cancer
◦ Risk factors of lung cancer in Saudi Arabia
◦ Risk factors of lung cancer in Saudi Arabia among males aged 40 to 60
 One way to narrow a broad topic is to limit your topic:
◦ by geographic region
◦ by time frame
◦ by population group
 If you have any uncertainties about the focus of your topic:
◦ discuss your topic with your instructor
◦ discuss your topic with a librarian

5. Step 4: Make a list of usefulStep 4: Make a list of useful
keywordskeywords
Look for words that best describe your topic.
Find synonyms, broader and narrower terms
for each keyword you find in order to expand
your search capabilities
Keep a list of these words to use as keywords
later as you search in catalogs and other online
databases

6. Step 5: Be flexibleStep 5: Be flexible
You may find too much articles and need to
narrow your focus, or too little and need to
broaden your focus.
When researching, you may not wish to
change your topic, but you may decide that
some other aspect of the topic is more
interesting or manageable.

7. Step 6: Define your topic as aStep 6: Define your topic as a
focused research questionfocused research question
You will often begin with a word, develop a
more focused interest in an aspect of
something relating to that word, then begin to
have questions about the topic.
PICO
◦ Population
◦ Intervention
◦ Comparison
◦ Outcome

8. Step 7: Research and readStep 7: Research and read
more about your topicmore about your topic
Use the key words you have gathered to
research in the catalog, article databases and
web search engines
You will need to do some research and reading
before you select your final topic.
Can you find enough information to answer
your research question?

9. Feasibility of the researchFeasibility of the research
Subjects
Data
Time
Fund
Resources

10. Feasibility of the researchFeasibility of the research
Subjects
Data
Time
Fund
Resources