Before you start searching, it’s important to check whether your dissertation topic is viable — and whether there’s enough literature to support it.
TL;DR: Not all dissertation topics are viable — even if they sound interesting.
You need to make sure there's enough existing academic literature to support your research before you commit. This guide shows you how to test your topic early — and how to fix things if it turns out to be too narrow or under-researched.
A strong dissertation topic is researchable, connected to academic debates, and supported by a body of literature you can analyse or build on.
Students sometimes choose a topic that’s too narrow, too new, or too personal — only to find there’s not enough material to review.
That’s why checking for literature availability is one of the first things you should do when developing a research question.
Still working out what to focus on?
See Narrowing Your Dissertation Topic for help shaping a broad idea into a clear research question.
Tip: Not sure what counts as a good source? See our guide on understanding academic vs non-academic sources and how to evaluate information effectively.
It’s common to hear that a dissertation should identify a research gap — but that doesn’t mean your topic should be entirely unstudied.
A genuine gap usually means:
A different angle on an established issue
A new method applied to an old question
A topic studied in one context but not another
If you find nothing written on your topic, that’s more likely a sign that it’s not viable — or that it needs to be reframed to connect to existing research.
Explore how topics develop over time using citation chaining techniques.
Feeling overwhelmed by results? Use these strategies for managing information overload.
Before you commit to a topic, run a few quick searches to check that there’s academic interest and coverage. You're not trying to find everything — just enough to move forward confidently.
Start with LibrarySearch — Abertay’s main academic search tool.
If you need alternatives, see our Search and discovery tools guide.
Start with just a few keywords from your proposed topic and scan:
How many results appear?
Are they from peer-reviewed sources?
Do any results look directly relevant?
Need help with search techniques? Visit Search Skills: Finding Information Effectively.
It’s not enough to find one or two relevant sources. A viable topic will usually have:
Several peer-reviewed articles or book chapters
Work by different authors or research teams
A range of perspectives or theoretical approaches
Try tracing who an author cites — and who has cited them since — using citation chaining. This helps you uncover:
Key debates
Foundational theories
Important influences
Too much literature? That’s often a good sign — it means your topic is well established and can be refined.
Feeling stuck? Revisit our guide on managing overload.
If your searches suggest that your topic is:
Too niche or under-researched
Not grounded in an existing academic framework
Based on a personal interest with no academic tie
…then it’s time to reframe. You might need to:
Widen your scope (e.g. include more than one country or case study)
Link your topic to a broader field or theory
Focus on a related concept that’s better covered in the literature
Still unsure what to do next? Bring a few search results to your supervisor or an academic librarian, or a study skills adviser. They can help you refine your approach.
Not sure who to ask? Contact us via library@abertay.ac.uk
Still not feeling confident? That’s okay — we’re here to support you.
Email us: library@abertay.ac.uk for one-to-one advice
Last modified by Student and Academic Services