This week, you wil be choosing the topic idea for your GISystem Design. You have five concept options for your topic idea (listed below). You will want to choose a specific topic that provides a solution to a geographic and spatial problem and applies to your interests, either work or personal hobbies. The topic could have the potential to later be implemented in an expanded research or a work project. Given that this course project only proposes the development and implementation of the GISystem Design (you are not actually building it), you have unlimited options and should start with ideas that interest you.
Writing a project topic can be both unexpectedly challenging and frustrating. However, time spent researching and thinking about the topic will impact the results. Foremost, the topic idea allows you to select, evaluate and interpret literature sources. While an initial broad literature search builds a foundation for later work, you may still have difficulties mapping where you are going and envisioning the results. If this is the case, your idea is not set in concrete, and it should be revisited. Importantly, a well-written topic may not necessarily be a good topic and a self-evaluation of the topic might follow the acronym FINER, which stands for Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant. You should achieve all five of these. Looking forward, this contributes to the Design Proposal which begins with a goal statement that defines the purpose of the product development effort, the deliverables, and key objectives.
Broad topic concepts:
- OPTION 1: A GISystem design proposal that incorporates the use of mobile devices to access and update geospatial data from the field in real-time.
- OPTION 2: A design proposal to audit a GISystem with the goal of proposing changes that will improve system functionality.
- OPTION 3: A design proposal for a GISystem application that serves the needs of a professional niche (e.g., forest management, city planning, etc…).
- OPTION 4: A design proposal that incorporates the use of a web portal to access and update geospatial data
- OPTION 5: A design proposal to apply Artificial Intelligence/ Deep Learning to established geospatial products and services.
Once you choose a topic concept and a specific spatial problem that interest you, move onto the Term Project Literature Search Assignment.