Topic: Discover a set of topics you might select for your research presentation.
Your goal is to consider a set of possible topics you might be interested in, but also to think about how those topics can translate into specific research questions. This reflection requires you to identify topic areas, then high-level questions within those topic areas, and finally concrete research questions.
We created a concept map in class. Feel free to use that as a starting point for finding topics and questions, but you can come up with other topics as well.
Specifically, you are required to:
Topic areas should be single words or short descriptions. They encompass a broad field of inquiry. For example: neuroscience, sports medicine, or fashion design.
High-level questions are important questions that can't be answered simply or shortly. Frequently such questions will not admit a short "yes/no" answer or may be subjective in nature. For example, if my topic area is sports medicine, then two high-level questions might be, "What are the health risks of playing professional sports?" and, "How are athletes screened for potential injury?"
Concrete research questions are are those that have a specific answer that can be uncovered through finding and investigating sources. They typically can typically be answered conclusively with no room for ambiguity, either through data or through expert testimony. These questions and answers form the basis of your research project, and you will use a combination of such questions to attempt to shed light on the higher level question you seek to answer. For example, if my high-level question is about the health risks of sports, then concrete research questions could be, "What injuries are most common in professional soccer players?" or, or, "Which sports have the highest rate of injury?", or "How many athletes have to leave their sport due to permanent injury?"
You will need to identify 3 topic areas, 6 high-level questions, and 18 concrete questions. The format of your reflection should be:
Please submit your work on Canvas. Go to the assignments page, then click on the assignment titled Topic Discovery.