Week 2

Research
Proposal
From Curiosity to Question: Finding Your Perfect Research Topic
Author

Dr. Samuel Blay Nguah

Published

August 9, 2025

“A journey that begins with steady steps will not lose the path at the crossroads.”

Recap…

Last week, we agreed that research isn’t just an academic checkbox; it’s a professional tool that lets paediatricians shape care beyond the clinic. Now, let’s move from why research matters to how to begin it, with the right topic.

Introduction

So, you’re ready to start your thesis. You have your white coat, a stethoscope, and enough caffeine to power a minor city. But when asked, “What’s your research topic?” you freeze like a child…Ouch!

Choosing a research topic is often the first real hurdle residents face, not because they lack ideas, but because they have too many, or worse, none that are feasible. This article serves as your guide through the fog, helping you select a topic that’s academically sound, clinically meaningful, and realistically achievable (before retirement).

The Anatomy of a Good Research Topic

A good research topic lies at the intersection of interest, relevance, feasibility, and scientific value. Like the classic Venn diagram: if your topic only ticks one or two of these, you’re heading for trouble.

Interest: Pick Something You Genuinely Care About

You’re going to spend the next 1–2 years reading, writing, and talking about this topic. If it doesn’t excite you on Day 1, it certainly won’t on Day 201.

Example: If you enjoy neonatology, don’t force yourself into a study on adolescent substance use just because someone said it’s “publishable.”

Relevance: Will This Matter in Your Context?

A study on cystic fibrosis might be scientifically rich, but unless you’re in a regional centre with enough cases, it may not be regionally relevant.

Ask:

  • Does this address a common or emerging clinical problem in Ghana or West Africa?
  • Will it add value to policy, practice, or further research?

A study on antimicrobial resistance in under-fives with sepsis is both regionally relevant and of public health interest.

Feasibility: Do You Have the Time, Data, and Resources?

Ambition is noble, but so is passing your fellowship. Be wary of multicentre longitudinal studies if you’re juggling night shifts and ward rounds.

Tip: Retrospective chart reviews, cross-sectional surveys, short cohort studies, and facility-based studies are often more realistic for a first-time researcher and a fellowship thesis.

A cross-sectional study on asthma control among school-aged children attending your facility? Completely achievable!

A 10-year follow-up study of post-ICU neurodevelopmental outcomes? Good luck! (unless you’ve got funding, a team, and a time machine).

Scientific Value: What Will the Field Gain?

Avoid “me-too” topics. A third repetition of “knowledge of neonatal jaundice among caregivers” in the same region, using the same tool, might not break any academic ground, unless you’re adding a novel twist or intervention.

Look at what’s already published locally and regionally. Use PubMed, African Journals Online (AJOL), and Google Scholar. Embrace Artificial Intelligence if you still have a phobia of it. It will help a lot in this regard.

Consider:

  • Has this topic been done before?
  • If yes, can I improve the methodology or explore a different angle?

Mentor Input

Discuss with supervisors or clinicians; they can help narrow down and refine your idea.

Where Do Good Topics Come From?

  • Clinical Curiosity: Something you’ve noticed during your rotations.
  • Literature Gaps: Unanswered questions in recent journal articles.
  • Supervisors & Mentors: Tap into their experience (and sometimes their data!).
  • National Priorities: Align with ongoing health strategies or WHO/Ministry reports
  • Your Audit Book: That intriguing trend you found during clinical audit might just be publishable!

For instance, if you observed that most neonates with jaundice are presenting late despite antenatal education, that’s a question worth studying.

Red Flags To Avoid

  • Topics that are too broad (“Nutrition in children”)
  • Topics driven only by data availability (Don’t reverse-engineer research just because you have a dusty folder of lab results)
  • “Hot” topics outside your scope (E.g., Machine learning in NICUs… unless you have the team and tech)
  • Anything dependent on “pending” funding or ethics approval from 4 hospitals

A Practical Scenario

Dr. Ama is a senior paediatric resident at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. She has been working in the Paediatric Emergency Unit and has noticed that many children with severe anaemia are also testing positive for malaria.

She begins to wonder:

“Are children with severe anaemia more likely to have malaria, or is this just a coincidence?”

Step-by-Step Process to Generate the Topic

Step 1: Observation and Clinical Curiosity

She reflects on:

  • The frequency of severe anaemia among under-fives.
  • The high malaria burden in the region.
  • Occasional delays in diagnosis due to a lack of rapid testing

Idea Trigger: There seems to be a link between malaria and anaemia. Can this be studied systematically?

Step 2: Literature Review

She performs a brief search on PubMed, using terms like:

  • “malaria and anaemia in children in Ghana”
  • “prevalence of malaria-induced anaemia”
  • “factors associated with severe anaemia”

She finds:

  • Several studies confirmed the association.
  • But few studies focused on her specific region or were linked to seasonal variations or delays in diagnosis.

Gap Identified: While malaria–anaemia links are known, there is limited data for her locality, especially regarding the timing of diagnosis and treatment.

Step 3: Discussion with Supervisor or Mentor

She shares her thoughts with her supervisor, who responds:

  • “That’s a good observation. But consider narrowing it. Maybe look at children under 5 years, admitted for anaemia, and determine how many also had malaria by microscopy vs RDT.”

Refinement: Supervisor advises to narrow the scope and make it measurable.

Step 4: Assess Feasibility

She considers:

  • Data availability: The Hospital has blood film records, RDT results, and complete blood counts.
  • Sample size: Over 300 anaemia admissions in the past year.
  • Time: She can complete this study in under 12 months.

Feasible: Data is available, and ethical clearance is possible.

Step 5: Define the Research Topic and Objectives

She drafts her topic:

“Prevalence And Seasonal Trend of Malaria in Children Under 5 Years Admitted with Anaemia at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital”

Objectives:

  1. To determine the proportion of anemic children under five who test positive for malaria.
  2. To compare the diagnostic yield between RDT and blood film microscopy.
  3. To explore seasonal trends in malaria-associated anaemia.

Final Research Topic (SMART)

“Malaria Infection Among Children Under Five Years Admitted With Anaemia at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study”

A careful observation of this title reveals the following qualities:

  • Specific – children <5 with anaemia.
  • Measurable – malaria test results.
  • Achievable – uses existing data.
  • Relevant – targets a major child health problem.
  • Time-bound – single hospital, defined period.

Mission Accomplished (Without any spy gadgets!) 🥷🥷🥷

Summary

Choosing a research topic is not just the first step; it’s a foundational one. Don’t rush it. Be guided by:

  • What you care about
  • What’s relevant to your training and region
  • What you can complete within your time and resources
  • What adds a meaningful contribution to paediatric care

Take-Home Message

Your thesis topic doesn’t need to cure cancer, but it should be clear, focused, answerable, and worth reading (without inducing seizures).

Next Week on Paediatric Research Insights…

We’ll turn your chosen topic into a research question that gets your supervisor nodding and your ethics committee smiling (or at least not frowning). See you next week! 👋🏾

References

  1. Ratan, S. K., Anand, T., & Ratan, J. (2019). Formulation of research question–Stepwise approach. Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, 24(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.4103/jiaps.JIAPS_76_18

  2. Farrugia, P., Petrisor, B. A., Farrokhyar, F., & Bhandari, M. (2010). Research questions, hypotheses and objectives. Canadian Journal of Surgery, 53(4), 278–281. PMID: 20646403

  3. Ilesanmi OS, Afolabi AA. (2019). Challenges of research and documentation among medical residents in Nigeria: A nationwide survey. Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 28(4):413-418. PMID: 32124462