Sustainability Technologies

Use specific terms relating to your field of study when searching such as:

Keywords - terms that can appear anywhere in the record, such as titles, descriptions, or full-text:

Ecological houses
Energy policy
Environmentalism
Green building
Green movement
House building
Organic gardening
Sustainable living

Subject Headings - specific terms that are assigned to each item to describe the subject:

Dwellings -- Energy conservation
Industries -- Environmental aspects
Sustainability -- Social aspects
Sustainable development -- Political aspects
Sustainable development -- Social aspects

What are the key concepts of your topic?  Is there a way to broaden or narrow your topic? Sharpen your focus by:

• time period,
• place,
• specific event, or  
• specific people

Think of 2- 3 questions that you will explore. 

• Think about the who, what, where, when or how of your topic.
• Does your topic overlap with other subjects such as anthropology, geography or literature?

Under each question, think about the following aspects:

• What do you already know about your topic?
• What do you need to learn to better understand your topic?
• What kind of information resource might provide the answer to these questions?

Consider your audience.

• Who will read your paper?
• Why will readers be interested?
• What will be new to them?

• Start by identifying important concepts in your search question as you search databases or the Internet for information on your topic.  
• Think of related or similar terms (synonyms) that could substitute for your concepts.  These may be broader or more specific terms than your original concepts.  Brainstorm! 
• It can be helpful to write these down.  You may need to refer back to them. 

SAMPLE TOPIC: 
How has the use of solar and wind energy impacted the environment?

Click for more help with your research.