{"id":299,"count":10,"description":"
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\"Research<\/a><\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nWhen you have to write a thesis or dissertation<\/a>, it can be hard to know where to begin, but there are some clear steps you can follow.\r\n\r\nThe research process often begins with a very broad idea for a topic<\/a> you'd like to know more about. You do some preliminary research to identify a\u00a0problem<\/a>. After refining your research questions<\/a>, you can lay out the foundations of your research design<\/a>, leading to a proposal<\/a> that outlines your ideas and plans.\r\n\r\nThis article takes you through the first steps of the research process, helping you narrow down your ideas and build up a strong foundation for your research project.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

Step 1: Choose your topic<\/h2>\r\nFirst you have to come up with some ideas. Your thesis or dissertation topic<\/a> can start out very broad. Think about the general area or field you\u2019re interested in\u2014maybe you already have specific research interests based on classes you've taken, or maybe you had to consider your topic when applying to graduate school<\/a> and writing a statement of purpose<\/a>.\r\n\r\nEven if you already have a good sense of your topic, you'll need to read widely to build background knowledge and begin narrowing down your ideas. Conduct an initial literature review<\/a> to begin gathering relevant sources. As you read, take notes and try to identify problems, questions, debates, contradictions and gaps. Your aim is to narrow down from a broad area of interest to a specific niche.\r\n\r\nMake sure to consider the practicalities: the requirements of your programme, the amount of time you have to complete the research, and how difficult it will be to access sources<\/a> and data on the topic. Before moving onto the next stage, it\u2019s a good idea to discuss the topic with your thesis supervisor.\r\n

>>Read more about narrowing down a research topic<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Step 2: Identify a problem<\/h2>\r\nSo you\u2019ve settled on a topic and found a niche\u2014but what exactly will your research investigate, and why does it matter? To give your project focus and purpose, you have to define a research problem<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThe problem might be a practical issue\u2014for example, a process or practice that isn\u2019t working well, an area of concern in an organization\u2019s performance, or a difficulty faced by a specific group of people in society.\r\n\r\nAlternatively, you might choose to investigate a theoretical problem\u2014for example, an underexplored phenomenon or relationship, a contradiction between different models or theories, or an unresolved debate among scholars.\r\n\r\nTo put the problem in context and set your objectives, you can write a problem statement<\/a>. This describes who the problem affects, why research is needed, and how your research project will contribute to solving it.\r\n

>>Read more about defining a research problem<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Step 3: Formulate research questions<\/h2>\r\nNext, based on the problem statement, you need to write one or more research questions<\/a>. These target exactly what you want to find out. They might focus on describing, comparing, evaluating, or explaining the research problem.\r\n\r\nA strong research question<\/a> should be specific enough that you can answer it thoroughly using appropriate qualitative or quantitative research methods. It should also be complex enough to require in-depth investigation, analysis, and argument. Questions that can be answered with \u201cyes\/no\u201d or with easily available facts are not complex enough for a thesis or dissertation.\r\n\r\nIn some types of research, at this stage you might also have to develop a conceptual framework<\/a> and testable hypotheses<\/a>.\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n>>See research question examples<\/a>\r\n
Tip<\/figcaption>AI tools like ChatGPT can be effectively used to brainstorm potential research questions or hypotheses. However, we don't recommend trying to pass off AI-generated text as your own work. This is widely considered plagiarism<\/a> and may be recognized by your university's plagiarism checker<\/a> or AI detector<\/a>.\r\n\r\nTo learn how to use these tools responsibly, see our AI writing<\/a> resources page.<\/figure>\r\n

Step 4: Create a research design<\/h2>\r\nThe research design<\/a> is a practical framework for answering your research questions. It involves making decisions about the type of data you need, the methods you\u2019ll use to collect and analyze it, and the location and timescale of your research.\r\n\r\nThere are often many possible paths you can take to answering your questions. The decisions you make will partly be based on your priorities. For example, do you want to determine causes and effects, draw generalizable conclusions, or understand the details of a specific context?\r\n\r\nYou need to decide whether you will use primary or secondary data<\/a> and qualitative or quantitative methods<\/a>. You also need to determine the specific tools, procedures, and materials you\u2019ll use to collect and analyze your data, as well as your criteria for selecting participants or sources.\r\n

>>Read more about creating a research design<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Step 5: Write a research proposal<\/h2>\r\nFinally, after completing these steps, you are ready to complete a research proposal<\/a>. The proposal outlines the context, relevance, purpose, and plan of your research.\r\n\r\nAs well as outlining the background, problem statement, and research questions, the proposal should also include a literature review<\/a> that shows how your project will fit into existing work on the topic. The research design section describes your approach and explains exactly what you will do.\r\n\r\nYou might have to get the proposal approved by your supervisor before you get started, and it will guide the process of writing your thesis or dissertation.\r\n

>>Read more about writing a research proposal<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Other interesting articles<\/h2>\r\nIf you want to know more about the research process<\/a>, methodology<\/a>, research bias<\/a>, or statistics<\/a>, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.\r\n
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\r\n\r\n<\/em>Methodology<\/strong>\r\n