How to choose the right topic for your Review Paper - PART-1

This is the part-1 of the series on How to write a review paper for your MS applications . As mentioned, the 1st step is: choosing the right topic of your interest. This is a very crucial step as you wouldn't want to keep changing your topic again and again and repeating the process. Here are some tips on choosing the right topic:

• In case you've been already given a list on topics as is mostly the case while participating in symposiums or paper presentation competitions then make sure whatever topic you choose suits your career goals. For example, if I'm interested in an MS in renewable energies, I'll narrow down my topic on Energy sciences and engineering. In this 1st step keep the topic very broad and don't directly jump into narrowing it down further as your wouldn't want to miss out on information.
• Now that we are done with our main Topic, we will start dwelling deeper into it again based on our career goals. In case I'm interested in MS, I'll go about reviewing trends either in the most recent developments in Energy sciences or review the conventional technologies associated with it. I'll focus more towards the technical aspect of it. In case if it is an MBA you're planning then focus more on the current trends in market conditions, technology scale up, environmental/life-cycle impact assessments, etc. 
• Now that you've narrowed down, start searching deeper into it either on Google or Google Scholar. If you want the latest news and articles then keep googling. Simultaneously, open up google scholar and type whatever interesting keywords you find while googling and read detailed research papers on the same. (P.S Google scholar is the best site to access research papers for a start on a particular topic. I've covered upon the topic on resources for finding information on further blog posts.)

1. For MS compatible review paper:

Here are some ideas on the basis of which you can start structuring your paper:

• Review on technology scale up aspects of the most recent technology you've found during your search for your topic.
• Review by comparison of latest technologies available for your topic. The comparison could be on the basis of economic costs, energy efficiencies, raw materials or any comparison criteria that you would like to define. You'll start defining it yourself when you read detailed papers.
• Review on comparison on conventional and recent technologies available.
• Review on how a particular technology has developed since past and its current status.
• A review on advantages and disadvantages of a particular process or technology.

2. For MBA or any management side compatible review paper:

• Review on environmental impact assessment or life cycle assessment
• Review on market conditions of a particular product or technology.
• Review on economic aspects of a technology scale-up.
• Comparing economics and costs of conventional and new trends in technology.

I'll keep updating this blog post as and when I get more ideas!So keep following :)