{"id":100,"date":"2017-12-16T18:25:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-16T23:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/chapter\/definingscope\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T19:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T23:02:28","slug":"definingscope","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/chapter\/definingscope\/","title":{"raw":"5.1 Defining Your Scope","rendered":"5.1 Defining Your Scope"},"content":{"raw":"Often, when you are first assigned a project, the problem may be fairly general and open-ended. This allows you to approach the problem in a variety of ways, but also requires you to engage in critical thinking to decide which particular approach you will take and what limits you will place on what you hope to achieve. That is, most projects will require careful definition of <strong>scope<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nDefining your scope is a foundational step in your project, where you outline specific goals you want to achieve, but also set limits and determine what your project will <em><strong>not<\/strong><\/em> do. If you are tackling a large problem, you will likely not be able to solve it entirely; you might choose one slice of the problem pie to work on.\u00a0 Sometimes when students propose a research topic or project, they might not be aware of some of the issues involved and end up proposing a topic that might take an entire book to deal with! In such cases, you want to narrow your focus to a single chapter of that book. So while defining your scope will help you determine what kind of research you will need to do, you may also need to do some research to help you define your scope -- because sometimes we don't even know what we don't know until we start doing research.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_662\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"700\"]<img class=\"wp-image-662\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-1024x612.png\" alt=\"Pie chart: smallest slice indicates &quot;stuff you know;&quot; 2nd smallest indicates &quot;what you know you don't know&quot;. The largest slice indicates &quot;what you don't even know that you don't know&quot;\" width=\"700\" height=\"418\" \/> <strong>Figure 5.1.1<\/strong>\u00a0 Circle of knowledge; we don't know what we don't know[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIt is unlikely that a project will be relevant to or encompass <em>all people<\/em> in <em>all places<\/em> at <em>all times<\/em>. Limiting your scope means considering which people (or other entities), in which places, at which times. You may need to consider some or all of the following, depending on the type of project you are embarking on:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Background research<\/strong>: to more fully understand the context in which you are working and clearly define the problem you are tackling. How do you know there is a problem? What measurable impacts result from the current \"unsatisfactory situation\"? What data will you need to prove that this is a significant problem that has negative impacts and needs to be addressed?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Purpose<\/strong>: What is your goal? What do you want your project to achieve? What are the limitations placed on what can be expected or achieved? Are there expected goals or targets that any proposed solution is expected to meet? How will these be measured? What are the constraints (time frames, resources available, budget, regulations, etc) you have to work within? What solutions have already been tried unsuccessfully?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Intended Audience<\/strong>: Who is your immediate intended audience? What do you know about them? What more do you need to know in order to effectively convince them of your idea? Where might you find this information? What is the best way to present this information to this audience? Who else might read this?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Other Relevant Parties<\/strong>: Who else might read your document or be interested in your project? Will you need to engage or consult with people or groups who might influence or be impacted by this project?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Are there limitations (or a potential to apply limits) in terms of geography, demographics, or available technology? Could you consider a Pilot Project or Beta-Test?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Are there legal considerations, patents, regulations, policies, and guidelines that must be taken into account?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe process of coming up with a focused idea for your research can take many forms. Some strategies for narrowing and focusing include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Free<\/strong><strong>\u2013<\/strong><strong>writing<\/strong>:\u00a0 write for 10 minutes straight without stopping or self-editing. Then review what you have and circle any promising ideas. Use these and the basis of the next free-write.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Mind-mapping or Concept-mapping<\/strong>:\u00a0 create a graphic organizer listing ideas and indicating how they are connected<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Questioning<\/strong>:\u00a0 who, what, where, when, why, how? What do I already know? What do I need to find out?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Brainstorming<\/strong>:\u00a0 list all ideas without censoring or rejecting any, no matter how ridiculous or irrelevant they might seem at first.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn engineering fields, projects most often take a Problem-Solution approach. This entails clearly defining the problem in as open-ended a way as is feasible, possibly considering its causes and effects, and potentially coming up with or evaluating solution ideas.\r\n\r\nIn presenting your solution, you will have to find research to provide support for the basic premise of your research question (is this idea feasible?) and prove your hypothesis (show that it will be effective\/beneficial). You might do this by showing that similar ideas have been implemented and\/or researched in other areas, or that the ideas you are presenting are based on sound evidence. Collecting your own primary data (such as conducting a survey, interview, or site visit) may also help show how your ideas are feasible in the local community context.\r\n\r\nUsing appropriate methods and finding the right sort of research allows you to convince people that your ideas have validity and merit, and that the knowledge you have acquired or created is evidence-based.\r\n\r\nThe first step in most projects is figuring out what you don't know and what you need to know. Without this basic context work, it's difficult to work your way to finding relevant sources that can help you apply and analyze information and data from sources, and synthesize them into your own argument or recommendation.\r\n\r\nA problem-solving approach offers many ways to narrow your focus. Try creating a concept map like in <strong>Figure 5.1.2<\/strong>\u00a0to get a sense of the many ways you might approach your topic, and then narrow down your focus to <strong>one<\/strong> of those approaches. This will help you think of key words to use in your search for sources. The more you brainstorm, the more potential key words and synonyms you can come up with. The \u201cmind map\u201d below shows various ways to consider the larger context of your problem and find a specific area to focus on.<a id=\"retfig5.3.1\"><\/a>\r\n<figure><img class=\"center4 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/image2-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Hand-drawn concept map with &quot;Climate Change&quot; in the bubble, and several ideas radiating from it.\" width=\"521\" height=\"475\" \/><figcaption><em><strong>Figure 5.1.2<\/strong>\u00a0Concept map for refining a topic on climate change.[footnote][Concept Map]. [Online]. Available: <a href=\"http:\/\/libguides.uvic.ca\/c.php?g=256802&amp;p=3906769\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/libguides.uvic.ca\/c.php?g=256802&amp;p=3906769<\/a>[\/footnote] <a href=\"#fig5.3.1\">[Image description]<\/a>\r\n<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\nThis kind of \u201cgraphic brainstorming\u201d can help you consider many different ways your topic can be approached. You can ask questions such as how? why? who? to further extend this exploration. Your goal here is to narrow down your focus to one \u201cbubble\u201d (that is perhaps 3 or 4 nodes away from your central topic node) that can afford a promising topic while limiting the scope to something you can accomplish in the given time frame and assignment specifications (word count, research requirement, goal, etc).\r\n\r\nClearly you can\u2019t solve the problem of climate change in one paper or project. And no reasonable instructor or employer would expect you to. However, you might be asked to explore effective ways to reduce carbon emissions in a specific industry in a given period of time and\/or geographical region. Or you might investigate whether a particular form of alternative energy would be effective in a particular situation. Even then, you would have to consider approaches. Would you recommend changing a policy or law to try to address the causes of the problem? Providing incentives to industry or consumers? Innovating a current technology or process? Creating a new technology or process? Evaluating a currently proposed solution?\r\n\r\nResearching what other people working in this field have studied and written about can help you refine your focus and choose how you want to participate in this scholarly conversation. The ultimate aim is to narrow your topic enough to provide a specific question to guide your research and identify key words and terminology related to your topic.\r\n\r\nA good research question should be somewhat open ended; that is, the answer should not be a simple \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno.\u201d The focus of your research question should allow you to provide a comprehensive answer that takes context into careful consideration.\r\n\r\n<strong>Figure 5.1.3<\/strong>\u00a0shows a more specifically problem-based approach to concept mapping the general idea and finding areas of potential focus.\u00a0 A good focus for a paper or project will likely be 3-4 nodes away from the central problem box.<a id=\"retfig5.3.2\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_99\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<img class=\"wp-image-99 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-1024x470.png\" alt=\"A problem-based approach to concept mapping. Image description available\" width=\"1024\" height=\"470\" \/> <em><strong>Figure 5.1.3<\/strong>\u00a0Refining your project scope using a problem-based approach to concept mapping. <a href=\"#fig5.3.2\">[Image description]<\/a><br \/><\/em>[\/caption]\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">You generally cannot cover <strong>all<\/strong> of these issues in one paper or project. Try to narrow your focus so that you can research a specific aspect of the topic in-depth. Choose <strong>one<\/strong> specific focus (proposing a solution), and consider what other aspects must be included (defining the problem; choosing a specific demographic or geographical area to focus on).<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">As an example, consider the issue of <strong>Climate Change<\/strong> and how it might fit into each of these \u201cnarrowing your focus\u201d categories.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">EXAMPLE:\u00a0 Ways of Narrowing the Focus on Climate Change Topics<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Define the Problem\r\n<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Several years ago, research focused on trying to define the \"wicked\" problem, and convincing the general public, industries, and governments that a problem exists and is serious enough that we must start working on solutions immediately. Now, the vast majority of scientists and researchers accept that a problem exists: the climate is indeed warming and this is causing measurable impacts. Ongoing research might determine ways to convince people who are not yet convinced and ways to motivate people to take the problem seriously enough to consider changing their behaviour or policies.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Identify Causes<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">In the last few decades, there has been controversy over what the CAUSES of this problem are. Is climate change a naturally occurring, cyclical phenomenon or \u201canthropogenic\u201d (human-caused)? Research has convinced most people that climate change is anthropogenic: that human consumption of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Research is ongoing about what kinds of activities (fracking, building dams, data centres, driving vehicles that run on fossil fuels, <em>etc<\/em><em>.<\/em>) might contribute more or less to climate change. Research might also consider effective ways to modify human behaviour in order to slow down those causes.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Identify Effects<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Much research currently explores the effects of climate change, and even how we can determine what specific effects can be the direct effect of climate change. This can be done from many different disciplinary approaches. For example:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-Normal\">\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">Social justice research explores how certain groups of people (based on geography or socio-economic status) are impacted more severely than others.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">Political theorists may explore how different government types create different kinds of policies in response to the problem.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">In economics, researchers might try to predict how climate change may affect certain aspects of the global or local markets.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">In psychology, researchers might explore how people respond to the idea of climate change (<em>e.g<\/em><em>.<\/em>: stress, depression, motivation, <em>etc<\/em><em>.<\/em>)\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">Environmental researchers have numerous possible topics!\u00a0 For example, how is climate change affecting a particular species in a particular region?\u00a0 What impact might this have on the local ecology or human society?\u00a0 How should building standards in coastal areas be adapted for climate change? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Explore Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Research questions\u2014 such as \"How must we adapt current designs for X in place Y to be more resistant to specific types of climate impacts?\u00a0 \u201cAre Carbon Taxes and Caps an Effective Way to Reduce GHS Emissions?\u201d and \u201cWill Developed Nations Taxes Help Developing Countries Develop Low Carbon Technologies?\u201d\u2014analyze the effectiveness of proposed or currently implemented solutions. Some research compares the effectiveness of two possible solutions. Some propose new solutions (Tidal Power or AI controlled systems to enhance efficiency). Some might propose implementation of previous solutions in new contexts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Why Project Proposals Might be Rejected<\/h2>\r\nA proposal or recommendation needs research to convince the reader that the idea is worth pursuing or implementing. A project proposal could be rejected for any of the of following reasons related to insufficient research or poor scoping:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Unclear Problem Definition:<\/strong>\u00a0 research problem is not clearly defined so research plan has no clear focus (the idea is too vague , lacks a specific scope or goal, or not well though out)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Unnecessary Project<\/strong>:\u00a0 this issue is already well-known or the problem has already been addressed (or is in the process of being addressed). For example, proposing that the institution's Food Services unit should replace plastic cutlery with compostable cutlery, when it has already done so, would result in a rejected proposal.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Impractical Scope<\/strong>:\u00a0 access to information, resources, and equipment needed to complete your proposed study may not be available; adequate conclusions cannot be reached in designated time frame and resources available. For example, if you propose to do a study that will take 2 years, but your project is due in 2 months, the proposal will be rejected.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAs you can see, research will be needed in all stages and sections of your project.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><strong>EXERCISE 5.1<\/strong>\u00a0 Background Research<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<p class=\"no-indent\">Think of a problem you have recently encountered on campus \u2013 something that caused inconvenience, unnecessary cost, or some other \u201cunsatisfactory situation\u201d for you. What kind of research would you have to do to prove<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>that this is a significant problem that should be addressed?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>that it affects a large number of people, not just you?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>that this situation has tangible, measurable, negative consequences?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p class=\"no-indent\">How would you convince a \"decision maker\" or someone in a position of authority\u00a0that they should apply time and resources to remedy this situation? Where will you search for the information you need to make an evidence-based argument that will convince them?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h2>Image descriptions<\/h2>\r\n<strong><a id=\"fig5.3.1\"><\/a>Figure 5.1.2 image description:<\/strong>\r\n\r\nA concept map to brainstorm topics related to climate change.\r\n\r\nClimate change\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>is caused by\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>natural processes<\/li>\r\n \t<li>human activities, such as\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>population increases<\/li>\r\n \t<li>burning fossil fuels<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>evidence\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>rising sea levels<\/li>\r\n \t<li>melting glaciers<\/li>\r\n \t<li>warming oceans\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>which impact animal habitat (e.g., polar bears)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>can be managed by\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>changed consumer behaviour, such as\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>recycling<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>further scientific research<\/li>\r\n \t<li>environmental laws and policies, such as\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>political action<\/li>\r\n \t<li>carbon taxes<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<a href=\"#retfig5.3.1\">[Return to Figure 5.1.2]<\/a>\r\n\r\n<strong><a id=\"fig5.3.2\"><\/a>Figure 5.1.3 image description:<\/strong>\r\n\r\nA problem based approach to concept mapping.\r\n\r\nWhat is the central problem or issue you are researching?\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Define the problem.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Are people aware of the problem? Do you need to create awareness?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is the current situation misunderstood?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Identify causes.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Need to create awareness?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Known causes<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Yet to be determined?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Controversial?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Identify effects.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Environmental<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Political<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Social<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Economic<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Look at solutions.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Propose a solution<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Compare or evaluate proposed solutions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Critique proposed solutions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Consider disciplinary approaches<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<a href=\"#retfig5.3.2\">[Return to Figure 5.1.3]<\/a>","rendered":"<p>Often, when you are first assigned a project, the problem may be fairly general and open-ended. This allows you to approach the problem in a variety of ways, but also requires you to engage in critical thinking to decide which particular approach you will take and what limits you will place on what you hope to achieve. That is, most projects will require careful definition of <strong>scope<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Defining your scope is a foundational step in your project, where you outline specific goals you want to achieve, but also set limits and determine what your project will <em><strong>not<\/strong><\/em> do. If you are tackling a large problem, you will likely not be able to solve it entirely; you might choose one slice of the problem pie to work on.\u00a0 Sometimes when students propose a research topic or project, they might not be aware of some of the issues involved and end up proposing a topic that might take an entire book to deal with! In such cases, you want to narrow your focus to a single chapter of that book. So while defining your scope will help you determine what kind of research you will need to do, you may also need to do some research to help you define your scope &#8212; because sometimes we don&#8217;t even know what we don&#8217;t know until we start doing research.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_662\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-662\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-662\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-1024x612.png\" alt=\"Pie chart: smallest slice indicates &quot;stuff you know;&quot; 2nd smallest indicates &quot;what you know you don't know&quot;. The largest slice indicates &quot;what you don't even know that you don't know&quot;\" width=\"700\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-1024x612.png 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-768x459.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-65x39.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-225x134.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-350x209.png 350w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/We-dont-know-what-we-dont-know.png 1212w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-662\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 5.1.1<\/strong>\u00a0 Circle of knowledge; we don&#8217;t know what we don&#8217;t know<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It is unlikely that a project will be relevant to or encompass <em>all people<\/em> in <em>all places<\/em> at <em>all times<\/em>. Limiting your scope means considering which people (or other entities), in which places, at which times. You may need to consider some or all of the following, depending on the type of project you are embarking on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Background research<\/strong>: to more fully understand the context in which you are working and clearly define the problem you are tackling. How do you know there is a problem? What measurable impacts result from the current &#8220;unsatisfactory situation&#8221;? What data will you need to prove that this is a significant problem that has negative impacts and needs to be addressed?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Purpose<\/strong>: What is your goal? What do you want your project to achieve? What are the limitations placed on what can be expected or achieved? Are there expected goals or targets that any proposed solution is expected to meet? How will these be measured? What are the constraints (time frames, resources available, budget, regulations, etc) you have to work within? What solutions have already been tried unsuccessfully?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Intended Audience<\/strong>: Who is your immediate intended audience? What do you know about them? What more do you need to know in order to effectively convince them of your idea? Where might you find this information? What is the best way to present this information to this audience? Who else might read this?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other Relevant Parties<\/strong>: Who else might read your document or be interested in your project? Will you need to engage or consult with people or groups who might influence or be impacted by this project?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Are there limitations (or a potential to apply limits) in terms of geography, demographics, or available technology? Could you consider a Pilot Project or Beta-Test?<\/li>\n<li>Are there legal considerations, patents, regulations, policies, and guidelines that must be taken into account?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The process of coming up with a focused idea for your research can take many forms. Some strategies for narrowing and focusing include the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Free<\/strong><strong>\u2013<\/strong><strong>writing<\/strong>:\u00a0 write for 10 minutes straight without stopping or self-editing. Then review what you have and circle any promising ideas. Use these and the basis of the next free-write.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mind-mapping or Concept-mapping<\/strong>:\u00a0 create a graphic organizer listing ideas and indicating how they are connected<\/li>\n<li><strong>Questioning<\/strong>:\u00a0 who, what, where, when, why, how? What do I already know? What do I need to find out?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brainstorming<\/strong>:\u00a0 list all ideas without censoring or rejecting any, no matter how ridiculous or irrelevant they might seem at first.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In engineering fields, projects most often take a Problem-Solution approach. This entails clearly defining the problem in as open-ended a way as is feasible, possibly considering its causes and effects, and potentially coming up with or evaluating solution ideas.<\/p>\n<p>In presenting your solution, you will have to find research to provide support for the basic premise of your research question (is this idea feasible?) and prove your hypothesis (show that it will be effective\/beneficial). You might do this by showing that similar ideas have been implemented and\/or researched in other areas, or that the ideas you are presenting are based on sound evidence. Collecting your own primary data (such as conducting a survey, interview, or site visit) may also help show how your ideas are feasible in the local community context.<\/p>\n<p>Using appropriate methods and finding the right sort of research allows you to convince people that your ideas have validity and merit, and that the knowledge you have acquired or created is evidence-based.<\/p>\n<p>The first step in most projects is figuring out what you don&#8217;t know and what you need to know. Without this basic context work, it&#8217;s difficult to work your way to finding relevant sources that can help you apply and analyze information and data from sources, and synthesize them into your own argument or recommendation.<\/p>\n<p>A problem-solving approach offers many ways to narrow your focus. Try creating a concept map like in <strong>Figure 5.1.2<\/strong>\u00a0to get a sense of the many ways you might approach your topic, and then narrow down your focus to <strong>one<\/strong> of those approaches. This will help you think of key words to use in your search for sources. The more you brainstorm, the more potential key words and synonyms you can come up with. The \u201cmind map\u201d below shows various ways to consider the larger context of your problem and find a specific area to focus on.<a id=\"retfig5.3.1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"center4 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2017\/12\/image2-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Hand-drawn concept map with &quot;Climate Change&quot; in the bubble, and several ideas radiating from it.\" width=\"521\" height=\"475\" \/><figcaption><em><strong>Figure 5.1.2<\/strong>\u00a0Concept map for refining a topic on climate change.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"[Concept Map]. [Online]. Available: http:\/\/libguides.uvic.ca\/c.php?g=256802&amp;p=3906769\" id=\"return-footnote-100-1\" href=\"#footnote-100-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"#fig5.3.1\">[Image description]<\/a><br \/>\n<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This kind of \u201cgraphic brainstorming\u201d can help you consider many different ways your topic can be approached. You can ask questions such as how? why? who? to further extend this exploration. Your goal here is to narrow down your focus to one \u201cbubble\u201d (that is perhaps 3 or 4 nodes away from your central topic node) that can afford a promising topic while limiting the scope to something you can accomplish in the given time frame and assignment specifications (word count, research requirement, goal, etc).<\/p>\n<p>Clearly you can\u2019t solve the problem of climate change in one paper or project. And no reasonable instructor or employer would expect you to. However, you might be asked to explore effective ways to reduce carbon emissions in a specific industry in a given period of time and\/or geographical region. Or you might investigate whether a particular form of alternative energy would be effective in a particular situation. Even then, you would have to consider approaches. Would you recommend changing a policy or law to try to address the causes of the problem? Providing incentives to industry or consumers? Innovating a current technology or process? Creating a new technology or process? Evaluating a currently proposed solution?<\/p>\n<p>Researching what other people working in this field have studied and written about can help you refine your focus and choose how you want to participate in this scholarly conversation. The ultimate aim is to narrow your topic enough to provide a specific question to guide your research and identify key words and terminology related to your topic.<\/p>\n<p>A good research question should be somewhat open ended; that is, the answer should not be a simple \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno.\u201d The focus of your research question should allow you to provide a comprehensive answer that takes context into careful consideration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Figure 5.1.3<\/strong>\u00a0shows a more specifically problem-based approach to concept mapping the general idea and finding areas of potential focus.\u00a0 A good focus for a paper or project will likely be 3-4 nodes away from the central problem box.<a id=\"retfig5.3.2\"><\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_99\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-99\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-99 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-1024x470.png\" alt=\"A problem-based approach to concept mapping. Image description available\" width=\"1024\" height=\"470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-1024x470.png 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-768x353.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-1536x705.png 1536w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-65x30.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-225x103.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map-350x161.png 350w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2569\/2026\/01\/Problem-Concept-Map.png 1882w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-99\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em><strong>Figure 5.1.3<\/strong>\u00a0Refining your project scope using a problem-based approach to concept mapping. <a href=\"#fig5.3.2\">[Image description]<\/a><br \/><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">You generally cannot cover <strong>all<\/strong> of these issues in one paper or project. Try to narrow your focus so that you can research a specific aspect of the topic in-depth. Choose <strong>one<\/strong> specific focus (proposing a solution), and consider what other aspects must be included (defining the problem; choosing a specific demographic or geographical area to focus on).<\/p>\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">As an example, consider the issue of <strong>Climate Change<\/strong> and how it might fit into each of these \u201cnarrowing your focus\u201d categories.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">EXAMPLE:\u00a0 Ways of Narrowing the Focus on Climate Change Topics<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Define the Problem<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Several years ago, research focused on trying to define the &#8220;wicked&#8221; problem, and convincing the general public, industries, and governments that a problem exists and is serious enough that we must start working on solutions immediately. Now, the vast majority of scientists and researchers accept that a problem exists: the climate is indeed warming and this is causing measurable impacts. Ongoing research might determine ways to convince people who are not yet convinced and ways to motivate people to take the problem seriously enough to consider changing their behaviour or policies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Identify Causes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">In the last few decades, there has been controversy over what the CAUSES of this problem are. Is climate change a naturally occurring, cyclical phenomenon or \u201canthropogenic\u201d (human-caused)? Research has convinced most people that climate change is anthropogenic: that human consumption of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Research is ongoing about what kinds of activities (fracking, building dams, data centres, driving vehicles that run on fossil fuels, <em>etc<\/em><em>.<\/em>) might contribute more or less to climate change. Research might also consider effective ways to modify human behaviour in order to slow down those causes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Identify Effects<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Much research currently explores the effects of climate change, and even how we can determine what specific effects can be the direct effect of climate change. This can be done from many different disciplinary approaches. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"import-Normal\">\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">Social justice research explores how certain groups of people (based on geography or socio-economic status) are impacted more severely than others.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">Political theorists may explore how different government types create different kinds of policies in response to the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">In economics, researchers might try to predict how climate change may affect certain aspects of the global or local markets.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">In psychology, researchers might explore how people respond to the idea of climate change (<em>e.g<\/em><em>.<\/em>: stress, depression, motivation, <em>etc<\/em><em>.<\/em>)\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent indent\"><span class=\"hanging-indent indent\">Environmental researchers have numerous possible topics!\u00a0 For example, how is climate change affecting a particular species in a particular region?\u00a0 What impact might this have on the local ecology or human society?\u00a0 How should building standards in coastal areas be adapted for climate change? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\"><strong>Explore Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\">Research questions\u2014 such as &#8220;How must we adapt current designs for X in place Y to be more resistant to specific types of climate impacts?\u00a0 \u201cAre Carbon Taxes and Caps an Effective Way to Reduce GHS Emissions?\u201d and \u201cWill Developed Nations Taxes Help Developing Countries Develop Low Carbon Technologies?\u201d\u2014analyze the effectiveness of proposed or currently implemented solutions. Some research compares the effectiveness of two possible solutions. Some propose new solutions (Tidal Power or AI controlled systems to enhance efficiency). Some might propose implementation of previous solutions in new contexts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Why Project Proposals Might be Rejected<\/h2>\n<p>A proposal or recommendation needs research to convince the reader that the idea is worth pursuing or implementing. A project proposal could be rejected for any of the of following reasons related to insufficient research or poor scoping:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Unclear Problem Definition:<\/strong>\u00a0 research problem is not clearly defined so research plan has no clear focus (the idea is too vague , lacks a specific scope or goal, or not well though out)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Unnecessary Project<\/strong>:\u00a0 this issue is already well-known or the problem has already been addressed (or is in the process of being addressed). For example, proposing that the institution&#8217;s Food Services unit should replace plastic cutlery with compostable cutlery, when it has already done so, would result in a rejected proposal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Impractical Scope<\/strong>:\u00a0 access to information, resources, and equipment needed to complete your proposed study may not be available; adequate conclusions cannot be reached in designated time frame and resources available. For example, if you propose to do a study that will take 2 years, but your project is due in 2 months, the proposal will be rejected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you can see, research will be needed in all stages and sections of your project.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><strong>EXERCISE 5.1<\/strong>\u00a0 Background Research<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p class=\"no-indent\">Think of a problem you have recently encountered on campus \u2013 something that caused inconvenience, unnecessary cost, or some other \u201cunsatisfactory situation\u201d for you. What kind of research would you have to do to prove<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>that this is a significant problem that should be addressed?<\/li>\n<li>that it affects a large number of people, not just you?<\/li>\n<li>that this situation has tangible, measurable, negative consequences?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"no-indent\">How would you convince a &#8220;decision maker&#8221; or someone in a position of authority\u00a0that they should apply time and resources to remedy this situation? Where will you search for the information you need to make an evidence-based argument that will convince them?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Image descriptions<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a id=\"fig5.3.1\"><\/a>Figure 5.1.2 image description:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A concept map to brainstorm topics related to climate change.<\/p>\n<p>Climate change<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>is caused by\n<ul>\n<li>natural processes<\/li>\n<li>human activities, such as\n<ul>\n<li>population increases<\/li>\n<li>burning fossil fuels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>evidence\n<ul>\n<li>rising sea levels<\/li>\n<li>melting glaciers<\/li>\n<li>warming oceans\n<ul>\n<li>which impact animal habitat (e.g., polar bears)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>can be managed by\n<ul>\n<li>changed consumer behaviour, such as\n<ul>\n<li>recycling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>further scientific research<\/li>\n<li>environmental laws and policies, such as\n<ul>\n<li>political action<\/li>\n<li>carbon taxes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"#retfig5.3.1\">[Return to Figure 5.1.2]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a id=\"fig5.3.2\"><\/a>Figure 5.1.3 image description:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A problem based approach to concept mapping.<\/p>\n<p>What is the central problem or issue you are researching?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Define the problem.\n<ol>\n<li>Are people aware of the problem? Do you need to create awareness?<\/li>\n<li>Is the current situation misunderstood?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Identify causes.\n<ol>\n<li>Need to create awareness?<\/li>\n<li>Known causes<\/li>\n<li>Yet to be determined?<\/li>\n<li>Controversial?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Identify effects.\n<ol>\n<li>Environmental<\/li>\n<li>Political<\/li>\n<li>Social<\/li>\n<li>Economic<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Look at solutions.\n<ol>\n<li>Propose a solution<\/li>\n<li>Compare or evaluate proposed solutions<\/li>\n<li>Critique proposed solutions<\/li>\n<li>Consider disciplinary approaches<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"#retfig5.3.2\">[Return to Figure 5.1.3]<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-100-1\">[Concept Map]. [Online]. Available: <a href=\"http:\/\/libguides.uvic.ca\/c.php?g=256802&amp;p=3906769\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/libguides.uvic.ca\/c.php?g=256802&amp;p=3906769<\/a> <a href=\"#return-footnote-100-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[49],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-100","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":91,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":842,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/100\/revisions\/842"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/91"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/100\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=100"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=100"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwriting2ed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}