A research topic is a general term for the subject you are interested in learning about. Examples: Sustainable fishing; Pet Overpopulation.
Once you know your topic, you will need to come up with a more specialized research question that will be the focus of the paper. This will guide your search and help you narrow down your resources to the ones you need to answer this question in your paper. This might involve more specific geographic regions, sub-topics, or problems related to the topic. For example: What regulations have been effective in promoting and enforcing sustainable fishing practices in Alaska?
If you need help coming up with a research topic or research question, try looking at your course readings and the reference books linked below for ideas. You can also try searching a database for a general topic, and look for patterns or trends of related articles to use as the focus of your research question.
Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology by
The Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology (ESST) addresses the grand challenge for science and engineering today. It provides unprecedented, peer-reviewed coverage in more than 550 separate entries comprising 38 topical sections. ESST establishes a foundation for the many sustainability and policy evaluations being performed in institutions worldwide. An indispensable resource for scientists and engineers in developing new technologies and for applying existing technologies to sustainability, the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology is presented at the university and professional level needed for scientists, engineers, and their students to support real progress in sustainability science and technology. Although the emphasis is on science and technology rather than policy, the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology is also a comprehensive and authoritative resource for policy makers who want to understand the scope of research and development and how these bottom-up innovations map on to the sustainability challenge.
Sustainable Animal Agriculture by
In order to meet increasing global demand for meat and animal by-products increasingly intensive animal production is necessary. Creating a sustainable system in animal agriculture that works in different production environments is a major challenge for animal scientists. This book draws together themes on sustainability that have emerged as the most pressing in recent years. Addressing practical topics such as air quality, manure management, animal feeds, production efficiency, environmental sustainability, biotechnology issues, animal welfare concerns, societal impacts and an analysis of the data used to assess the economic sustainability of farms.
Humans and Other Animals: cross-cultural perspectives on human-animal interactions by
Explores the evolving and diverse ways in which humans and animals interact, from blood sports to pet keeping.
Consider your research topic and research question, and list as many words or phrases related to that topic as you can. Include synonyms, and look at the reference books linked above or your course readings and textbooks for help finding more words and phrases.
Group related words and phrases you listed in Activity 1 into separate "clouds" or "clusters." For example, each of these groups would be in its own "cloud":
fish, salmon, and haddock
fish farming, fisheries, aquaculture
Alaska, Arctic, Kodiak, Aleutian
regulations, enforcement, rules, policies
Based on your clusters of search terms, devise your search strategy:
fish or salmon
fish and sustainable
More search tips:
A literature review is a survey of current (you determine time frame) literature relating to a particular issue, problem, theory, etc. The review involves a comprehensive search of all of the known/findable scholarly literature related to the issue or topic. The written review provides a summary of this literature and can be a publication in its own right, or may be part of a larger academic research publication.
Steps:
Formulate the research question
Conduct preliminary search(es) of the literature as appropriate in order to:
Refine the topic
Conduct a second review of the literature using multiple databases and other appropriate resrouces
Review/evaluate/analyze results
