1Finding,formulatingandexploringyourtopic.DifferenttopiccreationsManystudentshaveinmindsomethingthattheywanttoworkon;otherswanttoworkwithaparticularscholarorresearchcentre.Inthefirstcase,studentssearchforacompatiblesupervisor.Inthesecond,foratopic.Regardlessofthesepreliminarycircumstances,thetopicisverylikelyonlyroughlyformulatedatthisstage.Thisisusuallyenoughtohaveyourenrolmentaccepted.ReadingtheliteratureOnceyouhaveageneralidea,youcouldstartbytalkingtoyoursupervisorandotherscholars.But,mostimportantly,youhavetothinkwhyyouwouldliketoworkonit,orwhyanyonewouldwanttodoso.Askyourself,"Whyisitimportant?Whatisinterestingaboutthis?SupposeIsolveit,orfindit,orpullitalltogether,whatuseisit?Whatisitssignificance?"Then,withsomequestionssuchastheseinmind,goandreadmoreaboutittoseewhatisthereandfindoutwhataspectsofithavebeenexhausted,whatneglected,whatthemainideas,issuesandcontroversiesareinthearea.Itisregardedasyoursupervisor'sroletodirectyoutothemostfruitfulstartingpointinreadingandsurveyingtheliterature.CycleofliteraturereviewAllofthisisnotaonceonlyactivity,butisacycleyougothroughagainandagain.Soyouread,think,anddiscussitwithyoursupervisorandthen,asaresult,comeclosertotheformulationofthetopic.Andthenwitheachcycleofreading,thinkinganddiscussingyourtopicbecomesmorespecificandfocused.Thisisnotthefinalformulationandthelasttimeyouwillfocusyourtopic.Butyoucouldprobablyletgoofthisroundofgeneralexplorationandembarkonthenextstage.YoursupervisorbythistimeshouldhaveenoughofanideaofyourtopictojudgewhetherornotwhatyouproposetodoisfeasiblewithinthetimeavailableandhasthepotentialtomeettherequiredstandardsforaPhD.Toseethefullpotentialofyourtopicor,tothecontrary,seethatitisnotgoingtodeliverwhatyouwanted,youdoneedtobegindoingyourresearch.This,ofcourse,iswhypilotstudiesareoftenundertaken.MakingsenseoftheliteratureWedotrulywishwecouldtellyouaboutareliableorsimplewaytomakesenseoftheliterature.Wecansay,however,thatyouneedtoattendtothingsattwolevels:Oneisestablishingasystemthatwillallowyoutoorg...
