Hello all! At the ripe old age of 18, I noticed it was beginning to become more difficult to come up with topics for research essays, but then I found a fun new way to get some thoughts going! For this blog post, I went through an exercise in "The Curious Researcher" that sparked some curiosity in my (tired, college-fried) mind.
Step 1: I had to choose three titles (already chosen) and brainstorm a list of words or phrases that come to mind when I think about what I know and what I might want to know about the category. Here's my list:
Places
Paris
Lancaster, Pa
Boston, Ma
New York
North Carolina
London
Spain
Amsterdam
Los Angeles, Ca
San Francisco, Ca
Florida
Georgia
Jobs
Actress
Singer
Dancer
Nutritionist
Personal Trainer
Teacher
Police Officer
Nurse
Hobbies
Weightlifting
Running
Singing
Dancing
Painting
Writing
Drawing
Step 2: For the second step, I was instructed to pick a topic that stood out to me and that I thought could open doors to knowledge that might be relevant to my life. So, my choice was the most relevant and challenging topic in my life currently: Nutritionist.
Step 3: And for the third and final step, I had to generate a list of questions that I would love to explore about the subject I chose. And here are my most burning questions about the topic of being a Nutritionist:
What all does being a nutritionist entail?
How important are nutritionists in society?
How great is the need for nutritionists on mission trips in other countries?
Could nutritionists travel along with missionaries and help others in need?
In what ways can being a nutritionist glorify God?
What are the main difficulties in being a nutritionist?
What are some ways to branch out in the field of nutrition?
Wasn't that a fun exercise? I thought it was! (Sorry, I'm an English nerd) Well, I hope reading that exercise sparked some curiosity in your mind. When you or someone you know starts to write their next research essay, pull this out and get the creative juices flowing!
Liz, no shame in being an English nerd; you're in good company. I'm guessing you want to be a nutritionist, perhaps? Two of your questions -- nutritionists traveling with missionaries and the difficulties of being a nutritionist -- caught my eye. I think these two questions could be combined to make for a really interesting research essay. For example, how do the challenges of being a nutritionist affect a nutritionist who chooses to work as or alongside missionaries in international contexts? What do you think?
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