2.1 Identifying a Topic Area

Question 1

Personal Interests and Curiosities

Answer 1

What interests you?
What makes you curious?

Question 2

Casual Observation

Answer 2

Watch the behavior of people or animals

Question 3

Reports of Others’ Observations

Answer 3

The reports of other people’s observations made by other people are another useful source of research ideas

Question 4

Practical Problems or Questions

Answer 4

Topics can arise from practical problems or questions you encounter in your daily life
Examples, issues with your job, family relationships, schoolwork, or elsewhere

Question 5

Applied Research

Answer 5

Research that is intended to answer practical questions or solve practical problems.

Question 6

Basic Research

Answer 6

Research studies intended to answer theoretical questions or gather simply for the sake of new knowledge

Question 7

Behavioral Theories

Answer 7

Watch for theories that offer explanations for behavior to try to explain why different environmental factors lead to different behaviors