Planning.
Planning is one of the most important phases of research. Considering your topic thoroughly from the start will give you a clear idea of which resources you need to interrogate and the key words to employ when searching for literature.
If you are setting your own research topic for a dissertation, long essay or literature review this stage is crucial to ensure that the scope and direction of your project is clear from the outset.
This preliminary stage sets the groundwork for your research and will save you a lot of time and confusion later on.
Mapping your ideas out
Starting an assignment can be daunting, you may be faced with new topics, terms and concepts, you may even be constructing your own research title. With so many places to look for information it can be hard to know where to start.
Before you begin searching for material it's a good idea to think carefully about the question or theme you are investigating. and map out your ideas. Look at the key words and themes and think 'do I really know what this means?', 'what other terms and concepts are related to this?'.
This process will help you to highlight areas of interest and pin-point knowledge gaps. When you feel you have exhausted this 'mapping' stage you will find it easier to think about how you intend to approach the assignment or project. If you are conducting a literature review or embarking on a dissertation this might be a good point to start thinking of an initial working title.
Scope
Thinking through your topic or title can often expose a range of potential ideas to explore. You will not always be able to investigate everything surrounding your topic so it is good to set yourself some boundaries and limit the scope of your investigation.
You may find that you have become inquisitive about a specific strand of the subject or how it relates to a certain group or location. It is often the nitty gritty 'who, what, where and when' elements that make your research unique, these are the aspects that will direct your searches when gathering material to read.
If you have been given a title to research some of these elements may have already been set out for you. Take some time to focus on them and consider how they affect your research.
If you are constructing your own research title it is worth making a list of potential criteria that would limit or broaden your search such as location, demographic and time frame. Consider how these new elements would alter the direction of your research.
Terminology
Whilst mapping out your ideas and considering related topics and concepts you will have been inadvertently creating a bank of search terms.
It can be worthwhile at this stage to pull the key terms and phrases out of your plan and think about them individually.
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Do you really know the definition of this word or term?
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Are there similar words or synonyms that may have been used by other people researching your topic?
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Are there subject specific or industry terms that might relate?
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What is the flip side or opposite of this word or term? Could research on this help shed light on your topic too?
After carrying out these preliminary stages you will have everything you need to make an informed start on gathering your research material.
The direction of your research is not set in stone at this point, the information you collect during your research will present new ideas, terms, concepts and frames of reference which will inform and potentially change the nature of your investigation. You can build on and alter your list of key words as you go.
The planning stage of your work gives your research an informed starting point and an important anchor point to show how your knowledge and understanding evolves.