Conduct a literature review. This means reading academic journals, books, and articles on your chosen topic. This will help you learn about the current state of research in the area and identify potential gaps in knowledge.
Develop a list of research questions. As you read the literature, start generating questions about the topic that you would like to explore further. These questions should be specific, feasible, and relevant to the current state of research.
Narrow down your research question. Once you have a list of research questions, start narrowing them down until you have a specific, focused question that you can investigate in your thesis. This question should be something that you are passionate about and that you have the resources to study.
Here is an example of how you can narrow down a broad research area into a specific question for a bachelor thesis:
Broad research area: History
Literature review: You read several academic journals and books about the history of the United States. You learn about the different periods of history, the major events that occurred, and the key people who shaped the country.
Research questions: As you read the literature, you start generating questions about the history of the United States that you would like to explore further. Some of your questions might include:
* How did the United States become a global superpower?
* What were the key factors that led to the American Revolution?
* How did the Civil War affect the development of the United States?
Narrow down your research question: You decide to focus on the American Revolution. You are passionate about this topic and you have the resources to study it. You develop a specific research question that you can investigate in your thesis:
* What were the social, economic, and political factors that led to the American Revolution?
This research question is specific, feasible, and relevant to the current state of research. It is also a question that you are passionate about and that you have the resources to study.