by Timothy Howe
Create a plan
A builder does not just pick up a hammer, some boards and nails and begin construction. A builder first looks at a blueprint. The blue print functions as a guide to how the structure will look in the end. With its direction, lines on a paper soon become a foundation, walls, and a roof. In the same way, a research project must not be a shot in the dark. It requires rigorous planning. The more detailed the plan is, the more likely it will cause the project to arrive at its intended goal.
Create a timetable
Most research projects have a termination point. A paper is due, a presentation is expected or a book is submitted. If this endpoint alone serves as a time reference there is a strong likelihood that procrastination will result in the vast majority of the work taking place at the latter stages. This can lead to hurried and careless work. The researcher will find it much better to set aside a timetable for each stage of the project and then check later to see if he or she is ahead or behind of schedule.
Create a thesis
The thesis is a GPS. A good thesis drives research not the other way around. A researcher who begins researching a topic without knowing precisely what he or she is looking for will waste a lot of time doing inconsequential research. That same researcher may even be tempted to stick some of those results in the project just because of the work it caused regardless of whether or not it is connected to the topic. Let the thesis drive the research not some interesting discovery that can derail the project.
Create an outline
If the thesis is the GPS, then the outline is the roadway. A good outline escorts the researcher by the hand to the results of the project. Following an outline during the research phase as well as the writing phase keeps the researcher on target. Of course, the outline will be inexact at the beginning since the point of research is to determine something as of yet unknown, but a good outline is easily adjustable along the way.
Create an end vision
Do not be tempted to leave the end research open-ended. A good researcher will usually be able to plan ahead regarding a specific research target and will stop when that target is reached. Again, this remains flexible as new findings adjust it. It is critical to know when enough research has been gathered to produce conclusive results or argumentation.
By following these guidelines a researcher will make the most productive use of his or her time and create the best possible research.
by Timothy Howe
All Academics research. It is a part of the job. If you are in academia you will need to research. Whether you are working on a research paper, thesis, dissertation, field project, or a new book, you will need to research. Many times research topics come easily. They are dictated by someone else, by pressing circumstances or are a particular passion. However, almost every writer comes to a point in his or her career when he or she is required to write without a lead. The writer knows that something must be written, but what?
Six Steps to Choosing Your Topic
1. Work in an area of personal interest.
You will not want to research a topic that is dull to you. The larger the project, the more personal investment will be required to stay the course. So, from the beginning investigate topics that interest you. It is also likely to be the area where you already have some expertise.
2. Consider if your interest matters.
Just because you like a topic does not mean it is either important or interesting to others. Since writers presumably research in order to be read, consider if your interest matters. If it does not, select a new one. If it does, your are on the right track.
3. Identify what research already exists in your field of interest.
You do not want to expend a great deal of research effort only to find out that someone else has written your paper. Identity what topics are sufficiently covered and what topics have questions yet unanswered or conclusions yet unchallenged.
4. Brainstorm various possibilities.
Before researching, sit down and come up with as many ideas as you can concerning your interest. Among other things, brainstorming benefits you by leading you to something you never before considered, helping to establish the outline for when you begin writing, and by producing many future topics.
5. Narrow your topic to a manageable size.
It does no good to choose a topic of gargantuan scale. You must narrow your topic as soon as possible to a size that is appropriate for your project. Research papers must be very narrow in focus; theses, dissertations and books can be a bit broader, but be careful to not let them grow unwieldy.
6. Choose your topic.
Sometimes the enemy is not the lack of a topic, but it is that you cannot decide between equally compelling topics. There comes a time when you must simply choose. Choose your topic and begin your research. Put your remaining other good topic ideas in your mental vault for future research.
Finally, once you have chosen your topic, start writing.
