The topic must be timely and current: correspond to topics that are unknown to society or that resolve contemporary interests or curiosities. Those topics that are inappropriate (excess or lack of information; lack of means or sufficient time) should be discarded. It must have practical implications, that is, some utility for some sector of society; affect a large sector of the population (normally, everyday life is of interest to the Social Sciences), or it can also affect a special sector of the population (influence groups, marginalized sectors or elites). It must meet current research demands (topics that have not been sufficiently researched, or that have been researched in other countries and we find interesting, topics that are the product of social change, such as mobile phone use in children or addictions to ICT). Research may aim to clarify an ambiguous or complex concept (such as "identity", for example), may refine research tools, may provide theoretical advances (reveal new data) and may apply techniques from other fields, enriching the methodological proposal

Umberto Eco (1977) highlights the characteristics that the subject must have, that can be a task and that must be feasible: the researcher must be able to do it, making contributions, must be manageable, must provide enough information and at the same time be able to show the skills of the researcher. Eco advises rejecting issues in which a single source of information is available, which may lead to irrelevant conclusions, which are too topical or which the researcher has an emotional or ideological implication.

In the book Come si fa una tesi di laurea it establishes four rules, focused on the feasibility of the study:

1. That the topic corresponds to the interests of the researcher

2. That the sources are affordable

3. That the sources are manageable

4. That the methodology is manageable for the researcher

On the contrary, it would be better not to define topics:

1. For which only one source of information is available.

2. In which an individual researcher cannot do all the work.

3. Too broad, overflowing the boundaries of a research paper or a doctoral research.

4. About which the researcher's own conclusions and contributions will be irrelevant.

5. That they are not able to maintain the researcher's interest throughout the research process.

6. So neutral that the researcher is unable to express a personal [academic] stance about him.

7. So complex that they lead nowhere.

8. Too popular [for repeated and manipulative].

9. In which the researcher is so emotionally involved, or so controversial, that a personal scientific contribution from the researcher will be hampered.

10. Inappropriate for the [academic] public.

Once the topic is decided, what we recommend is:

1. Examine or analyze that topic from several points of view, until deciding which one is right for us. In this way we can move forward in formulating the research problem.

2. Evaluate and critique the topic: It will help us to read the relevant scientific literature on the issue.

3. Compare and contrast things and ideas, similarities and differences.

4. Establish relationships between ideas.

5. Argue for and against.