Finding Inspirations for writing Thesis

I didn’t get it right the first time …

My very first master thesis is in economics. My thesis partner and I struggled as we had a very short time to come up with the thesis topic and research question. We already knew we were going to write thesis together and we started on schedule (which means late). What we should have done was to get started way before the thesis semester began. It does not have to be in-depth but at least to have a concrete idea on the topic and research scope from the very beginning.

It doesn’t matter which subject the thesis is about. As a kick-start to writing thesis, it is good or even essential to go beyond lectures and textbooks to find inspirations for writing thesis.

For my current thesis, I  have been thinking about it since the first semester. To be honest, I don’t know what topic to focus on since I’m new to textiles at that time, but thinking about it means being open to different and outside perspectives. My ‘thesis ideas’ change all the time as I’m exposed to new studies and learnings. The more places I look, the more inspirations I get and the more I know what I want to write about. This time, I don’t feel as lost as before.

Other than lectures and books, where could be the inspirational sources for the thesis topics & research questions?

• Watching Documentaries

I get the most inspirations from watching documentaries related to my field of studies. A way to view things from new perspectives and different angles. ‘The True Cost‘ is one of the documentaries that triggers my thesis inspirations.

• Attend Events and Networking

Campus events like conferences and career events are good ways to network as well as to gain insights and stay tune with the industry development.

My biggest takeaway was from ‘The Design for Prosperity 2014‘ conference in Borås University where global speakers present construction of new models of sustainable prosperity for a sustainable transformation of our present and future. It touches upon understanding of the ethical, aesthetical, ecological, technological, economic, and social challenges of our global societies. I felt like I had been given a dose of freshener. It’s about consolidating the different angles and putting the pieces together and together taking concrete actions towards a common sustainability goal, truly inspiring.

• Job portals

Check out job portal on the university website or other global job sites for thesis collaborations and research with other companies. It is a also good way if you want to search for companies that are interested in collaborating with your thesis topic.

The rest is reading up everywhere and being open to related blogs, journals and trade magazines etc. I get a lot of inspirations from talking to different people of all ages. Apart from people I met in school, speaking with my colleagues and friends, having discussions and debates with them on my ideas also brings in new perspectives.