Each research project requires a different research strategy. Once you have chosen your topic and you understand what you need to do for your assignment, you need to plan a research strategy. Part of the research strategy is developing a research question. It is important for you to know that research questions may change or become more refined during your project depending on what you uncover in your research.
These are some ideas to help you plan your research strategy. Thinking about them BEFORE you go looking for information will save you a lot of time.
You don't need to have a specific research question in mind when you begin thinking about your research project – just a general topic that you want to explore.
Things to consider when choosing an area to investigate:
Once you have a general topic in mind, it is important to refine your topic. An idea like "I want to write a paper about the problem of recycling" lacks focus and will leave you frustrated.
Refining your topic can be difficult if you are not familiar with it. In order to help you focus your research, it is important that you gather background information.
Background information will:
After you gather background information, one of the easiest ways to focus your topic is to frame it as a question. Research is a search for answers.
For instance, after doing research on recycling, you discover a current controversy involving local storage areas for recycled garbage. After looking at your background research, you have decided that this is the area you want to focus on.
There are a number of ways to narrow this interest even further into a research question.
Her are some questions to get you started and some examples.
Who is involved?
Are there comparisons you can make?
Are there Pros & Cons to your topic? This reflects a potential decision to be made
Common problems with research questions
There are a number of common mistakes people make when formulating research questions.
The question is too broad to do meaningful research.
The question is too narrow.
Sometimes the narrowness is logical (there is an easily obtainable "right" answer), and sometimes it is too narrow given the availability of resources.
The question cannot be answered.
Sometimes this is because of a logical problem in the question, because the information needed to answer the question cannot be logically or legally obtained.
You will continue to modify your topic throughout the research process. How you modify your topic will depend upon:
Attribution: Adapted from a guide developed by The University of Lethbridge Library, Canada, January 29, 2019. The original document can be found here.
Managing your time is a critical component of any research project.