Strategies for Choosing Research Topics for Students in the Covid-19 Pandemic Period

Many activities were delayed and could not even be carried out because of the Covid-19 Pandemic disaster. Not only in the business world and government, student research activities also experience obstacles. For students who are doing research, not a few of them are experiencing complaints and some of them are applying for a single tuition exemption (UKT) because of the impact of this pandemic on the obstacles of their research. Even the Chancellor of Udayana University has issued a Circular, for students who experience research obstacles conducted in the laboratory or in the field to get UKT exemption.

To reduce the impact of this pandemic on research, what research topics should be taken? We in several disciplines that utilize remote sensing science and technology can anticipate this problem. Some of the disciplines or fields in question that often utilize remote sensing data or imagery for research include: Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Marine and Fisheries, Engineering, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and so on.

Why does research on the topic of remote sensing minimize the impact of Covid-19? If we look at the definition, remote sensing is a science or art that can be used to study objects without direct contact with the object being studied. By this definition it means that if we conduct research by utilizing remote sensing science and technology it means that the less we contact or conduct surveys of objects or areas that we examine with good results, the more successful we apply the remote sensing technology.

In principle, research on the topic of remote sensing, when more research is done by processing the remote sensing image on a computer rather than going to the field. Image processing can be done at home using image processing software that can be installed on a personal computer or laptop. The images used in research can be downloaded from the internet and most of them are free for students to use. Meanwhile, we only carry out a limited number of verification and validation to the field.

Examples of research that can be done by students using remote sensing technology are: land use change, shoreline change, potential fishing locations, monitoring natural disasters (volcanoes, fires, forests, tsunamis, etc.), estimation of rice production, mapping plants are attacked by pests and diseases, and there are still many topics of remote sensing research that can be done in the fields of exact, economic, socio-cultural, and health.