What should you research? Here are some ways to figure that out:
- Class readings or discussions - Refer to your class readings or discussions. What have you been reading in class that has been interesting to you from those?
- Personal interests - Is there something that you like/dislike/want to know more about that you would want to research?
- Current events or what you're seeing in the news or online - Maybe you came across something online such as a news article, documentary you watched, or something else that you want to research?
- Look through biology journals - Browse through some biological journals to see what is being researched and identify a topic that might be of interest to you
- Ask your instructor or TA - You can always talk with your instructor or TA about a potential topic
- Ask a librarian - A librarian can help you define a topic (and so much more!)
Is your research idea too broad? Ideas for narrowing your research idea:
If your research idea is 1 or 2 words (such as, deforestation or global warming) then it is too broad. You need to narrow it! Here are some options:
- Choose a specific geographic area
- Country = United States; Brazil, etc.
- State = California, etc.
- City = San Francisco, etc.
- General area = Bay Area; Europe, etc.
- Choose a specific species (if researching a plant or animal)
- Bear = Black bear; brown bear; polar bear, etc.
- Flowers = Daffodil, roses, etc.
- Consider the reason why or potential solutions
Potential topics?
- The extinction of monarch butterflies is a result of habitat loss.
- What impact does hiking or other outdoor activities have on grasslands?
- What effects does timber logging in the Brazilian rainforest have on monkeys?
- Does tourism in Australia have an impact on the coral reefs there?
- Overfishing is decreasing the biodiversity of salmon.
- Overuse of palm oil is causing the extinction of many animals.
