PhD Topics in Commerce

A Ph.D. topic in commerce needs to be specific and well-researched.
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A doctorate in commerce brings together elements of business, economics and finance studies. Given a wide breadth of scope, a Ph.D. in commerce needs to have a specific, relevant subject for a successful thesis. The topic should be exhaustively researched with primary and secondary sources and the resulting paper must offer new and original insight. The possibilities are endless; you just need to figure out the topic that best suits your interests.

1 Historical

Franklin Roosevelt
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One possible topic begins with an historical perspective on commerce. Influential leaders, political strife or wars, and momentous economic decisions can have lingering effects on an economy for decades or centuries. Dissertations of this nature can delineate and assess aspects of history thoroughly and propose a framework for viewing modern-day effects on commerce. Possible topics could examine the residual effects of Mohandas Gandhi or Franklin Roosevelt, or the lasting effects of World War II on one of the countries involved.

2 Development of Nations

Development of nations
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Using a geographic region or a set of countries from around the world at similar levels of economic development, you can evaluate the factors that affect growth or stasis in a market. A thesis could examine how one particular factor, perhaps education or financial backing from foreign countries, tends to affect a developing nation's economy.

3 Governmental Policy

The White House
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Market trading can be greatly impacted by alliances, sanctions, tariffs and other political decisions. A dissertation could examine how an agreement or disagreement between two countries results in positive or negative consequences for a third country that is indirectly affected. Another tack would be to assess different approaches such as embargoes or tariffs and how they have differed in addressing a problem in the market under otherwise similar circumstances.

4 Technology

Commerce research can include the effects of transportation, communications and computer technology.
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Technology always changes, but the mechanics of how an innovation affects an economy often work in a similar fashion. Research topics could be how a particular invention affected trading in various markets or how a certain market tends to implement new technology. Other areas to explore include the effects of a shifting job market due to technology or how a market handles the changes in its trading partners during such times.

5 Staple Goods

Grocery shopping
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Everyone has to eat, and besides food there are inelastic goods like energy or basic clothing. These items can predict market conditions in some ways and the price of certain things can have wide ramifications on a small or growing economy's ability to change or grow. Possible topics in this arena include the function of international subsidies to the food market to help a potential trading partner mature, or the potential for increase in the price of inelastic goods to cause damage to an economy at large.

John Bland has been a freelance writer since 2009, with his essays, fiction and poetry appearing in "Shine Magazine," "North Texas Review" and many online journals. He received a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of North Texas in 2008.

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