Need help choosing topic for ECE literature review

[limz]

This doesn't seem to be a typical type of question for this site, but I need help choosing a topic for a literature review in an advanced writing class. It needs to be related to computer or electrical engineering, and is described as follows:

"A literature review is a very common genre of bibliographic essay; it surveys and evaluates current knowledge in a field. It presents and evaluates recent research in a specific area of this field and competing ideas and theories in this area (that is, it delineates debates in the field), and suggests possibilities and objectives for further research."

If anyone has experience with these types of essays and could offer advice, or even better suggest a topic it would be extremely helpful. I have no issues with technical writing or researching, I've just never encountered this type of essay and have absolutely no idea what would be a suitable topic. Once I have a viable topic I should be able to complete this easily, but I don't even know where to start. I don't know what's too broad or too specific and delving through extremely dense scholarly articles isn't doing anything except making me more frustrated. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[berkeman]

This doesn't seem to be a typical type of question for this site, but I need help choosing a topic for a literature review in an advanced writing class. It needs to be related to computer or electrical engineering, and is described as follows:

"A literature review is a very common genre of bibliographic essay; it surveys and evaluates current knowledge in a field. It presents and evaluates recent research in a specific area of this field and competing ideas and theories in this area (that is, it delineates debates in the field), and suggests possibilities and objectives for further research."

If anyone has experience with these types of essays and could offer advice, or even better suggest a topic it would be extremely helpful. I have no issues with technical writing or researching, I've just never encountered this type of essay and have absolutely no idea what would be a suitable topic. Once I have a viable topic I should be able to complete this easily, but I don't even know where to start. I don't know what's too broad or too specific and delving through extremely dense scholarly articles isn't doing anything except making me more frustrated. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.

Welcome to the PF.

Sounds like good topics would be current, technical, and perhaps controversial.

One topic comes to mind, because I've done a little reading (not much) about it based on my amateur radio involvement. The topic is Broadband over Powerlines (BPL), and involves sending broadband communication over the high-power AC Mains transmission lines. The idea involves technology, and has its usefulness, but it also generates a lot of interference for various radio bands. The FCC and ARRL and other organizations are involved with sorting out the technical issues and legal issues. You should be able to find info about it with a Google search.

I'll try to think of other potential topics as well. Good luck!