How do you find a PhD subject that hasn't been done yet?

I'm really interested in doing a PhD as I enjoy researching and want to continue studying. I have several areas of particular interest, but every time I try to find what's been written on different aspects of them, there's always something already, indeed sometimes someone has already done almost the exact project that I was thinking of! Is this just a problem in the humanities? (I'm looking at French literature or translation topics) How do I find something that hasn't been done?

Reply 1

Cammy1982

7

Original post by jbrandagamba

I'm really interested in doing a PhD as I enjoy researching and want to continue studying. I have several areas of particular interest, but every time I try to find what's been written on different aspects of them, there's always something already, indeed sometimes someone has already done almost the exact project that I was thinking of! Is this just a problem in the humanities? (I'm looking at French literature or translation topics) How do I find something that hasn't been done?

You need previous research in order to draw comparisions to your own work. I think the key to research is to find a gap in knowledge or adding to an exsisting field, not creating something new.

Reply 2

keytree

1

Original post by jbrandagamba

I'm really interested in doing a PhD as I enjoy researching and want to continue studying. I have several areas of particular interest, but every time I try to find what's been written on different aspects of them, there's always something already, indeed sometimes someone has already done almost the exact project that I was thinking of! Is this just a problem in the humanities? (I'm looking at French literature or translation topics) How do I find something that hasn't been done?

How about a critical review of the use of humour in the work of Corneille, or Racine, or Moliere?

Reply 3

jbrandagamba

OP

9

Original post by Cammy1982

You need previous research in order to draw comparisions to your own work. I think the key to research is to find a gap in knowledge or adding to an exsisting field, not creating something new.

I'm not trying to create something totally new, but the particular subjects I'm interested in seem to have been done so completely to death that I can't find a single route in. I have ideas, but then it turns out someone has covered every angle of them already. I thought I was getting somewhere with Jules Verne, but when I was looking up PhD supervisors who had supervised projects about him, I found a PhD student who had covered the exact work and topic I wanted to do, even though it was a very obscure work! Maybe I just don't know how this works, but how do I find something that definitely hasn't been done or expanded on ad infinitum?

Reply 4

jbrandagamba

OP

9

Original post by keytree

How about a critical review of the use of humour in the work of Corneille, or Racine, or Moliere?

I've never really read any of those authors, I have more studied the 18th and 19th centuries.

Reply 5

historygorilla

3

If you’re struggling with finding an angle yourself, try findaphd and see if any projects on there interest you. A ready-designed project can be a good route in. Most won’t be advertised yet for next year. The funded ones i think tend to come up later this month/November. Also check the websites of ahrc DTPs (northern bridge, techne, etc). Also ask your MA supervisor if there are any areas they know of understudied areas in your field and go from there. I reached my topic by chatting with mine about my own field (Holocaust history) and found a neglected topic that way and with his help got two offers of funding (for which originality is key and if you’d be up for it, interdisciplinarity can also increase your chances).

Reply 6

greg tony

17

Original post by jbrandagamba

I'm really interested in doing a PhD as I enjoy researching and want to continue studying. I have several areas of particular interest, but every time I try to find what's been written on different aspects of them, there's always something already, indeed sometimes someone has already done almost the exact project that I was thinking of! Is this just a problem in the humanities? (I'm looking at French literature or translation topics) How do I find something that hasn't been done?

Well i would say you might be approaching picking your subject topic in an inefficient way. Your specific topic and research queation/questions should come out of your reading/research in your chosen area, it should not happen before you start focused reading. This is probably why you keep hitting a brick wall. Every field is largely saturated with research. It doesnt mean there isnt value in more research but that it has to build on existing areas and research. So i wouldnt highly recommend coming up with some key general themes within your area you want to research and then reading/researching and titrating to a specific question. Also remember your research is just a small step forward not a giant completely original leap, so i would be very, very surprised that even if your chosen questions were answered you couldnt do an adaption and extension to an existing topic. Reading existing research that you feel already answers your chosen question is also a good approach, in particular any recommendations and limitations. Plenty of amazing research has come out of extending an existing project and correcting key limitations.

Greg

(edited 1 month ago)

How do you find a PhD subject that hasn't been done yet?

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