Your major might be a great place to start - knowing the names of the fields related to STEM, Health, and Social Sciences might help you develop search terms, research questions, and innovations. 

Majors and Minors

Are you represented by this list? If so, next ask yourself some questions, listed below!

S.T.E.M. Subjects

• Biology
• Biomedical Sciences
• Cell & Molecular Biology
• Chemistry
• Computing & Information Systems
• Digital Studies
• Engineering
• Environmental Studies
• Geography
• Mathematics
• Movement Science
• Natural Resource Management
• Physics
• Radiologic & Imaging Sciences
• Statistics

Health Sciences

• Allied Health Sciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Clinical Dietetics
• Clinical Laboratory Science
• Communication Sciences & Dis.
• Health Communications
• Medical Bioinformatics
• Medical Dosimetry
• Medical Laboratory Science
• Nursing
• Occupational Safety & Health Mgmt.
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Assistant Studies
• Public Health
• Public, Nonprofit, & Health Admin.
• Therapeutic Recreation

Social Sciences

• Allied Health Sciences
• Communication Sciences & Dis.
• Criminal Justice
• Health Communications
• Legal Studies
• LGBTQ+ Studies
• Integrated Studies
• Nursing
• Occupational Safety & Health Mgmt.
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Public, Nonprofit, & Health Admin.
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

Ask Some Questions

There are many ways experts investigate the state of STEM, Health, and Social Sciences. Here are some questions to get you started.

Sciences - "BIG Ideas"

• Application - what is the practical application of…? 
• Ethics - what sort of ethical decisions are made when…?
• Education - how does one learn about…?
• Experts - who are the experts and what do they say about…?
• Conflict - what issues surround this idea?
• History - what has happened in the past about this topic?
• Industrial Effect - how is the industry affected when…?
• Innovation - what new ideas are happening/could happen?
• “-Isms” - who are the people who benefit and/or lose…?
• Legal - what is legal/illegal about…?
• Natural Effect - how is the environment affected when…?
• Politics and Policy - what are the regulations, policies, and politics?
• Practice - how does it look when…?
• Social Effect - how are people affected when…?
• Theory - what theories support this idea?

Learn More:

• Brainstorming: Asking Questions
• Brainstorming Tips - Idea Mapping
• Broadening your topic (Brainstorming)
• Choosing a Topic from a Theme
• Choosing a Topic from Scratch
• Choosing a Topic with Subject Terms
• Keyword (Brainstorming)
• Narrowing your Topic (Brainstorming)
• Overcoming Writer's Block
• Research Question Development
• The Communication Triangle
• Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block - Purdue OWL

Sciences - Websites and Blogs

• GVSU Library Website
• Big Think
• NPR
• TED Talks
• Discovery Education
• 100 Science Topics for Research Papers
• 100 Technology Topics for Research Papers
• 150 Science Essay Topic Ideas