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GGRC26: Geographies of Environmental Governance

This guide will help you find scholarly sources to support your annotated bibliography and final research paper.

The Research Process

Albert Einstein

“If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.”

 Research takes longer than you think. It's more than just searching. 

 Start any idea or topic with brainstorming. It's an important part of the research process.

(Albert Einstein by George Hodan is licensed under CC0)

Step 1: Choose a Topic

  1. Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline
  2. Enbridge’s Line 9
  3. BC Hydro’s Site C Clean Energy Project
  4. Nalcor Energy’s Muskrat Falls Project.
Google Web Search

Step 2: Brainstorm, Map, & Narrow Your Topic

Part A: What do you know?

In groups of 3, share what you know about the topic already.

  1. What is the issue about (i.e. assignment 1 summary)? 

  1. What are the challenges of the issue?

The challenges are various angels you can focus your scope of investigation.   

Part B: Group Mind Map

1. Put your topic in the centre of your group mind map. 

2. Think about the following questions to help you brainstorm:

  • What about the topic is interesting?
  • What are the challenges of the topic? 
  • Why is this topic important? (can have more than 1 answer)
  • How did this topic occur? (can have more than 1 answer)

You may use you background research and anything you may have learned about the topic in Assignment 1 to help you scope out your ideas.

Use Bubbl.us to create your mind map or the worksheet provided. 

Part C: SHARE OUT: Each topic, one group shares what they wrote or discussed.

  1. What is the issue

  2. What are challenges/angles of the issue? 

Part D: What, Who, Where, When and Why/How of your Topic

Further focus on developing your topic by identifying the who what where when of your topic.

Choose one challenge/angel which is the why/how. Then think of the what who where when.