How to Choose a Perfect Topic
Introduction
Crafting a successful project (or dissertation/synopsis) for MPSE‑013 (or any Political Science course) starts with the selection of the perfect topic. The topic determines the course of your entire research process — it influences your literature review, methodology, data collection, analysis, and finally your findings. An effective topic can be the difference between an uninterrupted research process and an unpleasant, disorganized one.
Within this detailed guide, we will take you through:
- Familiarity with MPSE‑013 requirements/ assignment ,projects
- Essential criteria for choosing a “perfect” topic
- Step-by-step process for narrowing down and finessing your topic
- Sample topic suggestions (with advantages and disadvantages)
- Common pitfalls and mistakes
- Hints on finalizing and obtaining approval
- Hints for writing synopsis and carrying out the project
- Conclusion and checklist
You should feel confident at the end about choosing a specific, original, viable topic suitable for MPSE‑013 and your interests.
MPSE-013 Course & Its Scope
Before brainstorming for topics, you need to know what MPSE‑013 entails so that your topic falls within the range of the course.
- As per IGNOU’s syllabus, MPSE‑013 is named “Australia’s Foreign Policy”
- Its topics are: significance of learning about Australian foreign policy; methods; factors; policy‑making procedures; trade/investment; with U.S., China, India, Indonesia; ASEAN, Pacific Islands, Indian Ocean role; immigration, refugees; environment and human rights; nuclear proliferation.
- Therefore your subject has to be under or correspond to these thematic topics (e.g., Australia’s relationship with India, or Environmental Diplomacy and Australia).
Being aware of this range of topics prevents you from choosing subjects too far from course material.
Why topic alignment is important
- Your examiners or supervisors would expect your project to have connections back to the course.
- It helps to ensure that you can refer to relevant study materials, readings, and previous research to utilize.
- It keeps you from going off track or choosing a topic that’s too large or too small for the credit limitations.
Most Important Criteria for Selecting the Ideal Topic
When you compare prospective topics, you should employ a checklist. Below are the most significant criteria:
| Criterion | Why It Matters Questions to Ask
Relevance / Alignment To ensure your project is valid under MPSE‑013 Does this topic relate to Australia’s foreign policy or a theme in the syllabus?
Originality / Novelty In order to add something substantial instead of copying previous work Is there already literature on it? Are you able to approach it from a new perspective?
Feasibility / Manageability You have to do it in terms of time, resources, and word limit Can you gather data (primary or secondary) Is the scope feasible?
Data Availability If your project requires evidence, you need to have access Are sources (books, journals, government documents) available?
Clarity & Focus A well-defined, narrow topic is simpler to manage Is the research question well framed and specific?
Interest & Motivation You’ll be working on this for months — you must remain interested Are you really interested in this topic?
Supervision & Expertise Your supervisor or guide’s experience can assist you Is your supervisor experienced in this field?
Ethical & Political Restrictions Certain subjects might be sensitive or hard to study Will you come across any restrictions or access problems?
You can translate these to a topic evaluation rubric: give 1–5 marks to each criterion and select the topic with the best aggregate.
Step-by-Step Process to Narrow & Refine a Topic
Here is a process you can adopt in order to come up with a refined research topic:
1. Brainstorm broad themes
Begin with general areas under Australia’s foreign policy: e.g. “Australia–India relations,” “Australia and climate diplomacy,” “Australia’s refugee policy,” “Australia and ASEAN,” “nuclear non‑proliferation in Australia,” etc.
2. Do preliminary scanning & background reading
Read introductory material, syllabus, course book, IGNOU’s study material for MPSE‑013. ([IgnouTv][2]) Use Google Scholar, journals, news, think tanks. Try to find recent debates, gaps, contradictions.
3. Jot down possible questions
From each topic, suggest research questions. For example:
- How has the policy of Australia towards India changed over the past decade?
- What is the place of climate change diplomacy in Australian foreign policy?
- How does Australia ensure its refugee and asylum policy under international law?
- What is Australia’s nuclear non‑proliferation stance and position on uranium export?
4. Use criteria to filter and score topics
Use the above checklist to eliminate subjects that appear unworkable (insufficient data, too general, outside your area of expertise) and keep those with high scores.
5. Narrow further & add specificity
Frequently you will require a more specific context, e.g.:
- Rather than “Australia–India relations,” you could narrow it down to “Australia–India strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific since 2015.”
- Rather than “climate diplomacy,” you could look at “Australia’s foreign policy responses to Pacific island climate vulnerabilities.”
6. Test viability with rapid searches
Try searching for major terms, check if there are sufficient sources. If you get dozens of research papers, datasets, news sources, that’s a positive sign. If hardly anything, think again.
7. Make a mini synopsis & consult your supervisor
Once you have 2–3 shortlisted topics, prepare a brief summary of the problem, possible research questions, hypotheses, sources, and limitations. Submit to your guide/mentor for comments and final choice.
Sample Topic Ideas (with Pros & Cons)
Here are sample topics for MPSE‑013, adapted to the syllabus. Feel free to use them as inspirations:
- “Australia–India Strategic Relations in the Indo‑Pacific: 2015–2025”
- Pros: timely, plenty of policy documents, media coverage
- Challenges: can overlap substantially with current work — you must discover a new question (trade, security, cultural diplomacy etc.)
- “Australia’s Role in Climate Diplomacy in Pacific Island Nations”
- Advantages: salient topic, connection with foreign policy and environment
- Challenges: might need to obtain field data or access government reports
- “Australia’s Refugee & Asylum Policy in International Context: Human Rights vs National Security”
- Strengths: robust normative debate, legal documents accessible
- Challenges: possible sensitivity and political limitations
- “Australia and China: Trade Dependence and Strategic Rivalry”
- Strengths: very high relevance, plenty of secondary sources
- Challenges: finding the right balance between economic and security aspects
- “Australia’s Uranium Export Policy and Non‑Proliferation Norms”
- Pros: niche, targeted, tractable
- Challenges: not much primary data, lots of technical/legal issues
- “Australia–ASEAN Relations: Challenges and Prospects in the 21st Century”
- Pros: cross‑regional, connections to Pacific policy
- Challenges: must select particular policy (trade, security, migration) to target
- “Australia’s Foreign Policy Decision‑making: Role of Bureaucracy, Politics, and External Pressures”
- Pros: methodologically engaging, theory vs practice
- Challenges: getting insider interviews or official reports may be difficult
- ““Human Rights Diplomacy in Australia’s Foreign Relations: Case Studies of Southeast Asia”“
- Pros: connects normative & practical politics, case study method assists depth
- Challenges: require access to regional human rights reports and Australia’s diplomatic pronouncements
For any of the above, you can further narrow down by time frame (last decade), particular policies, or particular bilateral or multilateral situations.
Common Mistakes & Pitfalls to Avoid
- Too broad topics: E.g. “Australia and World Politics” is too much.
- Too narrow or trivial: E.g. “Australia’s embassy building color in Indonesia” — not scholarly significant.
- No data sources: Choose topics where you can reasonably get books, articles, government reports.
- Overlooking theory or framework: A project doesn’t merely tell facts — incorporate a theoretical framework.
- Disregarding supervisor’s guidance: Your supervisor might have limitations, recommendations, or preferred area.
- Underestimating time & resources: Don’t choose a topic that involves heavy travel or costly fieldwork unless you absolutely can.
- Overlapping with bulky existing works: If everyone’s done “Australia–US relations,” you need a twist to make it unique.
Overlooking ethical, access, or political limitations: Certain diplomatic materials could be sensitive or classified.
Tips to Complete & Obtain Approval
- Write your synopsis legibly (title, background, problem statement, objectives, research questions, methodology, data sources, limitations, timeline).
- Keep your title concise and descriptive: e.g. “Australia’s Climate Diplomacy in Pacific Islands: Adapting Foreign Policy to Rising Seas, 2015–2025.”
- Ask your guide for feedback early — do not complete topic alone.
- Be ready to refine after feedback: you might have to further narrow or alter data strategy.
- Make sure your research question is well-defined, reasonable, and not too ambitious.
- Check with your university/department if they have any set list of approved topics or regulations (occasionally they ban duplicate topics).
Conducting the Project & Writing the Synopsis
After choosing the topic, this is how to proceed:
A. Organize the Synopsis / Proposal
An average synopsis contains:
- Title
- Introduction / Background — Why this topic is important
- Problem Statement / Research Gap
- Objectives / Research Questions / Hypotheses
- Literature Review (brief)
- Theoretical Framework
- Methodology / Research Design
- Data Sources & Methods of Data Collection
- Scope & Limitations
- Significance / Contribution
- Tentative Chapter Outline / Timeline
- Bibliography / References
B. Literature Review & Theoretical Framework
- Examine current literature pertinent to Australia’s foreign policy in your chosen field (bilateral relations, diplomacy, environment, security, etc.).
- Find gaps and controversies.
- Select a theoretical approach (Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, Foreign Policy Analysis approaches, etc.) to guide your analysis.
C. Methodology & Data
- Determine whether qualitative (case study, interviews, document analysis) or quantitative (statistical data, trade statistics) or mixed methods.
- For MPSE‑013, most projects will use a lot of secondary sources (government documents, archival records, speeches, government websites, international organization data).
- If interviews are feasible, obtain institutional ethics clearances and contacts.
- Be realistic about what you can gain access to.
D. Data Collection & Field Work
- Gather government reports, press releases, foreign policy white papers.
- Make use of international databases (WTO, UN, World Bank, etc.).
- Utilize academic journals, think tank reports, news databases.
- If conducting interviews, plan and record in detail, with permission.
E. Analysis & Interpretation
- Apply your theoretical perspective to make meaning of the findings.
- Don’t simply describe — examine patterns, causes, implications.
- Compare with current literature: affirm, refute, or expand on previous conclusions.
F. Writing the Final Project
- Adhere to the university guidelines for formatting, organization, style of citations, word count.
- Contain introduction, literature review, methodology, empirical chapters, conclusion, recommendations, bibliography.
- Cite rigorously, do not plagiarize, remain clear and coherent.
G. Revision, Feedback & Submission
- Discuss drafts with your guide or others for feedback.
- Rewrite for clarity, consistency, argumentative strength.
- Ensure grammar, style, coherence.
Adhere to submission requirements (deadlines, style, binding, etc.).
Conclusion & Checklist
Selecting the ideal topic for your MPSE‑013 Political Science project is an important early decision. Selecting a good topic lays the foundation for a robust, significant, and manageable research experience. Employ the above criteria, adopt the step‑by‑step narrowing process, brainstorm clever topic ideas, steer clear of pitfalls, and work with your supervisor.