Every text has a topic. Sometimes, a topic might be assigned to you; other times, you are free to choose a topic yourself. In that case, it is wise to choose a topic that appeals to you. You often already know a bit about it, for example, because you follow the subject in the news. It is also much easier to stay focused and interested when working on an exciting topic.

If you are going to carry out empirical research, you should already be thinking about how you want to approach it and whether you will actually be able to do it. Research into the experiences of migrants in Africa is interesting, but almost impossible to achieve within the time frame of a course. You should also ask yourself whether you understand and can implement the proposed method.
How you arrive at your topic varies from project to project. Coincidence often plays a role here. Sometimes you might read an article about an interesting topic in a newspaper. It is always a good idea to make a note of ideas you come across; you never know, it might come in handy someday. If topics do not seem to come naturally to you, you can use the following sources of inspiration:

• Researchers’ suggestions for follow-up research in academic artcles.
•  Geografie – the journal published by KNAG (Royal Dutch Geographical Society) which covers current topics in human and physical geography.
•  The IKC RO newsletter (Dutch Information and Knowledge Centre for Spatial Planning) – a free daily digital newsletter which focuses on spatial planning issues.
• Ruimtevolk – geographical/spatial planning blogs dealing with current topics.

Do not worry about your topic not being innovative. What matters is an original approach, which you determine in your central question.

You use the introduction to outline the motivation behind your research project. Essentially, you need to explain why you want to examine this topic in more detail. Your motivation may arise from science or from practice.

The introduction is the place to introduce and briefly highlight the importance of your topic. You delve deeper into this issue in the ‘academic and social relevance’ section