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| Getting started | Learn more... |
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Making a search plan: defining your topic
Finding a topic to research
If you have to find your own topic to research, the search plan starts with a general orientation into the subject you are interested in.
How to get started
If you have to determine your own research topic, then Internet sources such as Wikipedia or Google are a good place to start collecting general information and search terms.
For example: if you were going to write a Master's thesis on something to do with The recycling of circuit boards, then how would you start?
Build a concept map
| Step 1. Is your thesis going to focus mainly on electronic waste (1) or recycling of materials (2)? |
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Step 2. Or, if it falls under the second, are you interested in recovering raw materials (2a) or the impact of the circuit design on the recycling process and energy (2b)? |
| Step 3. Suppose you choose environmental pollution issues (1a): are you interested in the toxic-inert quality of the materials or the degradation time span of the materials? |
You can keep refining your topic as much as you want. The result will be a map of concepts developed directly from your original subject.
Analyse your topic
Once you have read and thought more about your subject, the concept map can help you analyse your topic and determine exactly what you want to research.
Which resources to use?
A complete overview of most types of information and the resources you need to access them is available as a PDF file (see Downloads). Examples of the information resources are also provided.
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