Narrowing a topic and developing a research question
You may already have chosen an interesting topic, but still don't know what your research question is. Gathering information will help you explore new possibilities and narrow your topic.
• Gather background information:
- Use reference sources to get a general overview, e.g. AccessScience, Wiley encyclopedia of computer science and engineering.
- Find some review articles from a database, e.g. Web of Science, Scopus.
• Make a concept table:
Sample topic: Using machine learning to improve medical diagnosis
|
Main terms |
machine learning |
medical diagnosis |
|
Synonyms |
|
computer-aided diagnosis CAD |
|
Related terms any aspects, components, methodology or technologies related to the keywords |
image recognition pattern recognition algorithms data analysis deep learning |
computer-aided detection medical image analysis medical image processing |
• Ask yourself:
- What subtopics relate to the broader topic?
- What questions do these sources raise?
- What do you find interesting about the topic?
• Concept Mapping: A diagram or graphical tool that visually represents relationships between concepts and ideas.
- Place your main topic or term in a central position
- Create lines out to related terms, including what connects them to the lines.
Watch video on How to Create a Concept Map using Paper, Microsoft Word or Google Drive