Essential questions you might ask about your own topic:
Think broadly: What subjects or fields of study could I connect to it?
What thoughts or feelings are involved or can emerge from it?
What are benefits or disadvantages?
Responding to these can lead to keywords you can use to search for sources.
What's the brainy side of your topic?
Strategy
Instead of searching for articles specifically about “making a cake,” think of your topic in a broader way.
Consider related subjects or academic themes that can be related to the topic.
The brainy side of "Making a cake" could be:
- Food science: Articles on baking chemistry, ingredient interactions, or temperature effects.
- Health: Scholarly work on sugar, flour, or dietary impacts of baked goods.
- Cultural/Sociology: Research on cakes in rituals, celebrations, or traditions.
- Psychology: Studies on baking as a stress-relief activity or its role in memory and emotion.
- Communication: Articles on instructional communication, food blogs, or recipe sharing.
| Student Topic | Possible Scholarly Angle | Suggested Keywords for Database Search |
|---|---|---|
| Making a cake | Food chemistry, baking science, ingredient interactions | “baking powder chemical reaction”, “cake texture food science” |
| How to train a dog | Animal behavior, learning theory, positive reinforcement | “canine behavior training”, “operant conditioning dogs” |
| Playing the guitar | Music cognition, motor skill development, music education | “music and brain development”, “guitar learning motor skills” |
| Organizing your closet | Psychology of organization, minimalism, decision fatigue | “decluttering psychology”, “minimalism and mental health” |
| Building a birdhouse | STEM education, woodworking safety, spatial reasoning | “woodworking education”, “hands-on STEM learning” |
| How to do basic car maintenance | Technical communication, automotive engineering, safety | “automotive literacy”, “car maintenance education” |
| Applying makeup | Gender studies, self-expression, beauty standards | “makeup and identity”, “cosmetics and self-esteem” |
| Planning a budget | Financial literacy, behavioral economics, decision-making | “personal finance education”, “budgeting behavior” |
| Making cold brew coffee | Food science, caffeine extraction, consumer trends | “cold brew chemistry”, “coffee preparation methods” |
Example topic: How to train your dog.
Scholarly source: Dinwoodie, Ian R., et al. “An Investigation into the Impact of Pre-Adolescent Training on Canine Behavior.” Animals (Basel), vol. 11, no. 5, 2021, p. 1298, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051298.
Academic angle to use: According to a study by Dinwoodie, "Dogs that had attended pre-adolescent training were less likely to have aggression, compulsive behavior, destructive behavior, and excessive barking."
Ms. Starlit. Our sweet girl with a checkered past.