Engineering Resources
Select a Topic
Selecting a topic is one of the first steps of research, and it is also part of the research! It's ok if your topic is broad at first. Watch the following video for more guidance on this process.
Refining Your Topic
When starting a research project it is very likely that your first idea or topic for research will be a broad one. This is completely normal, but we need to narrow down our focus so that we don't get lost in the mountains of research that you will find when searching broadly.
Let's start with a broad topic and work our way down to one that's manageable. Let's say you're interested in understanding more about the design of cars. This topic could take you in many different directions. A good strategy to begin scoping your topic is to think about what you already know and what you want to explore further. In this case, fuel efficiency is a major consideration when designing a new vehicle, so it might be a good idea to dig deeper there to learn more. Aerodynamics are an important consideration as well, but how much research is out there on consumer vehicle aerodynamics? This could be a great area to start digging into to get a sense of the research out there, then start asking yourself more questions as you begin to find information.
Of course, this is just the beginning of scoping your topic. As you learn more and gather background information you will continue to refine your topic. Use the following handout to help guide you through that process.
As you further develop your topic, you might look to background information to help you further refine your idea. Background information is an important part of developing your topic because it helps you better understand your topic and its context, giving you basic facts and history. Sources such as encyclopedias, reports, or popular magazines can provide basic overviews and background information. These might not be sources you end up citing in a literature review or final paper, but they will help you understand the topic better so that you can find the appropriate resources.
You can check out these resources to get you started with refining your topic:
- IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new windowFind articles and other information from the journals, proceedings and standards published by IEEE and by the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Full-text is from 1988 to present with some selected earlier content.
- Gale Encyclopedia of ScienceCovers all major areas of science, engineering, technology, as well as mathematics and the medical and health sciences, while providing a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge and technology.