Planning Research: Study Note

Planning Research

Writing a research paper takes time.
Basic Steps

Step 1:
Define the problem. Once you have a research topic in hand, you must define the problem. The problem should point to a gap in knowledge, an unclear situation, an unresolved question, a lack of information, an unknown, a specific question to be investigated and answered, or a problem to be researched and solved. It is important to state the problem because this statement guides the research. It also helps the professor give appropriate guidance. Those who do not like the term problem because of its negative connotations could just as easily think of the problem as an issue or even a research question.

Step 2: Determine the purpose At this point you must determine what to do with the problem. Are you going to analyze? Compare? Reconstruct? Synthesize? Design a program? Any of these may be a valid option, depending on the problem and what you want to accomplish. The purpose follows on the heels of the problem. It tells the reader (and the professor) what you are going to do about the problem. If the problem is that there is no information, the purpose will be to find that information. Some examples of purpose: to reconstruct the events of a given historical period, to compare two theories, to organize certain information, to determine the relation between two events, to synthesize, to discover, or to formulate. After completing this step, two things are settled: What the issue is and what is being done about it. The next question is how to go about solving the problem.

Step 3:
Design a Methodology
Why the “method” of solving is called “methodology” is not quite certain. In any case, “methodology” is the way you go about achieving the purpose already stated. You must ask: “How am I going to do this? Before writing the methodology in beautiful prose, simply list the different steps. What will you do first? Second? Third? Make sure the steps are completely logical for the problem as presented and the purpose as intended. Conclusion with your professor or adviser is indispensable. Additional reading many also help clarify the steps you must take.