Determine the Efficiency of Existing Software

• Determining the efficiency of an existing software system would add to scientists' growing body of knowledge about which technologies work best in which environments. For this thesis idea, choose an interesting but under-studied environmental information technology software and examine its inner workings precisely. Dr. Razi Nalim, professor of engineering at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, studied NASA's environmental information system. He found correctable inefficiencies in the system that told NASA pilots the levels of greenhouse emissions produced by their jets' powering systems. Isolate an important environmental technology and research ways to make it better.
  
  

Create New Software

• Scientists don't have software to meet all their data collection and analysis needs. Sometimes field work without the help of technology can be difficult. If you are feeling particularly passionate and innovative, consider creating the template for a new software system as your environmental information technology master's thesis. A group of undergraduates at Harvard University students created just such software in the winter of 2001. The students developed a remote notebook that allows researchers to record data about the environment and transmit it through a wireless signal to an off-site computer. This technology is especially useful to marine biologists and others working in wet environments since their own paper notebooks and computers sometimes get wet and dirty.
  
  

Improve Simulated Environments

• Environmental scientists often manipulate computers that simulate environmental conditions in order to predict future occurrences and trends. For example, weather forecasters work with simulated environments to predict weather patterns over a period of days. The reason the weather man doesn't always get it right is that the simulation does not behave precisely as the real occurrence does. One way to improve simulated environments is by deepening the "artificial intelligence" component. Computers that are able to independently analyze vast amounts of data can behave in ways that more closely approximate the real deal. If you are interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence, environmental science and information technology, consider exploring simulation technology in your master's thesis.
  
  

Research Social and Environmental Impact

• Because the field of environmental information technology is still burgeoning, there is not much data on the effects to human social life and the environment. If you prefer to take a step back and examine the impact your discipline is having on human quality of life, consider a socio-historical approach for your master's thesis. Research the ways that first-generation environmental information technologies like weather forecasting systems and global positioning systems have changed the way that humans interact with their environments and each other. Does knowing the amount of greenhouse emissions you are producing result in using less power? Do remote notebooks allow scientists to collect more accurate data? These questions can serve as the beginnings of a strong master's thesis and an important contribution to the field.