Developing a Research Question

A Brainstorm on Research Questions for Computer Science

In this post, I will think of a few research questions for computer science that may lead me to ongoing debates that have a significant depth, and relevancy, to today so that I might later analyze them in detail and assess what people are saying on those topics.

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Below are my tentative research questions for topics I'm interested in within the field of computer science:

What are people saying today about computer science in education and general curricula?

I think that this would be an excellent research topic because I know from experience that general schooling systems, like school districts and high schools, are struggling to take a definite stance on teaching computer science and to what degree computers should be present in schooling. I think this would also be an interesting topic because I have personal interest in it not only due to my interest in computer science but also because I am personally involved to an extent, as I've gone through high school and been in some computer science-related courses. I also imagine that it would be interesting to see how schooling systems justify their stances on teaching computer science considering that it is a growing field in our society.

What role does technology play in global politics, considering such aspects of national interests such as cyber-security and commerce?

 I believe that this topic would be interesting for multiple reasons. Firstly, this question is concerned about a large, macro scale in the form of world politics, so it may be interesting to see what important figures and nations are saying on the topic. Additionally, my QRG project was somewhat related to this topic and I found China's shift from reliance on western operating systems and online services interesting given the context of national censorship in its mainland and replacement of these banned items. Lastly, I imagine that this topic is very up-to-date because there are many, many foreign policy and global affairs magazines and articles to be found online that I think would extensively cover this issue.

What are the rights surrounding encrypted data, and are governments treating encryption specially?

 I am certain that I would be intrigued by this topic if I researched it. Recently, I heard about a talk show interviewing Edward Snowden on a variety of topics that included his views on encryption and encrypted data, and what he had to say was subject to my fascination. Snowden spoke about how governments are treating encrypted data in special ways that do not reflect their similarities to mail and other forms of information that are already regulated by law in our society. I think that I would be able to find large amounts of material on this topic because it's related to law, computer science, privacy, and our society's massive use of technology and the internet.

What are the ongoing debates surrounding robotics and advancements in artificial intelligence?

 I think that this topic would be interesting because it's concerned with our changing world in the context of constant advancements in robotics and software that are now reaching into the roots of our society. I would imagine that many people are speaking on this issue since software and robotics, and even developments in artificial intelligence, are threatening jobs and promoting productivity in our industries today, which is affecting many people and businesses worldwide. I would find this topic to be intriguing because I imagine I would find a large diversity in opinions on the matter.