Choosing a Topic Module

Before you start collecting journal articles for your Literature Review, you will start with

brainstorming on a broad topic and narrowing the topic.

Step $1$: Start with the broad or general topic.

As you are selecting the topic, think about an inverted triangle where you will start broad

and then narrow to the refined topic.

The topic is the broad subject matter. The topic should relate to technology

management. Typically, technology management topics are quantitative!

Examples of Technology Management broad topics: construction, manufacturing,

engineering, electronics, telecommunications, cybersecurity, facilities management,

project management, sustainability, technical education, robotics, computer science,

graphic design, technical writing, knowledge management or technical leadership.

NOTE: computers don$$t make it a technology management topic.

Examples of broad topics:

broad topic

narrow topic

research topic

$2$

$$ Cybersecurity

$$ Data quality

$$ Project management

$$ Technical leadership

Example: broad topic $$ time management

Brainstorm on broad topic.

Step $2$: Narrow the topic.

Think of a topic that can match the general or broad topic.

Examples of narrowing broad topics:

$$ Cybersecurity and college campus

$$ Data quality and hospitals

$$ Project management and STEM graduates

$$ Technical leadership and job satisfaction

Example:

$$ time management and college students

$$ time management and entrepreneurship

$$ time management and job success

BEST PRACTICE: think of similar key words for the topics. For example: college

students $-$ graduate students, undergraduate students, online college students,

technology management majors.

Brainstorm on narrowing your topic.

Step $3$: Identify Impact or Effect of the topic.

Think of mutual relationships that involve impact or effect of the narrowed topic.

$3$

Examples of narrowing broad topics:

$$ Effect of cybersecurity on the college campus.

$$ Impact of data quality in Rural hospitals in Missouri.

$$ Effect of Project management on remote jobs of STEM graduates.

$$ Impact of technical leadership on job satisfaction.

Example:

$$ impact of time management on undergraduate college students

$$ impact of time management on students enrolled in online classes

$$ effect of time management on job success of college students

Best Practice: Select a topic of interest $($technology management$)$ and go to the

literature! This is your working topic.

Brainstorm on impact or effect topic.

Step $4$: Refine the Topic.

You will do initial or preliminary research on the topic. The goal is to help you get a

better understanding of the types of sources available and what is being said about the

topic.

Ultimately you will want to have a good amount of information available in the Kent

Library site. Don$$t forget your key words.

Ask questions:

$$ What type of impact?

$$ How does it affect?

By asking these questions, you can refine the topic.

Example:

From: Impact of time management on likelihood of undergraduate students graduating

To: Impact of proper time management skills on the graduation rate of undergraduate

students.

Best Practice: Refine the working topic.

$4$

Refine the topic