There is a lot of planning to do before we actually start working on a project. We need to be patient and make careful plans. Often, when we do not plan, things might fall out around us.
You do not want your project to fall apart and we must plan the project so it can go well. We probably have the date when the project supposed to be completed. We can look back from this completion date and know how many days, weeks, months or years we have to complete the project.
We then divide all the tasks to complete within the timeframe. Start by writing the list of tasks you will need to complete. These are likely to be:
* researching secondary sources,
* preparing for the primary research, for example, writing questionnaires and interview questions,
* carrying out pilot study,
* carrying out primary research,
* analysing the primary research,
* writing up the research,
* writing up full report.
There might be other more specific tasks that will need to be completed.
We might also struggle with estimating how long each task will take. It might be quite difficult, particularly if we are doing something that we have never done before. Different people work in different speeds.
Some broad guidelines for estimating may include:
* Allow at least a week, or two for people to return questionnaires. If you allow for too long, people may forget about filling them for you.
* Researching secondary sources is an endless task. You need to stop when you think you have enough. This will take several hours.
* The time taken to analyse data will depend on what we are doing. If we need to input data from a lot of questionnaires or interviews it can be very time consuming.
* Writing up interviews can take a long time and analysing them can be quite difficult.
* Tt takes a long time to write up the full project report.
When writing the plan you need to look at your diary. Perhaps you have a holiday booked or any special occasions coming up when you cannot allocate any time.
Selecting a topic
Selecting a topic is not as easy as it might seem. Try to resist choosing the topic before groundwork has been done. The topic needs to be of interest which you have a good chance of completing and would be worth the effort.
Many researches are concerned with the improved actions in their organisations. The aim is to understand what is in the present but also act more effectively in the future. Long-term objectives are important as well as the need to look beyond the current practices. We want to increase the efficacy of the existing system in terms of acceptance criteria.
Whatever the size and scope of the study, you will always be required to analyse information and, in some cases, change the way of doing things. Consider what the emphasis of the study is.
Getting started
You might be assigned a topic to research. Formulating a research question is fundamental to a research project. If focuses the study on how you will collect and analyse the data as well as the way you will report your results. It begins with the research problem that needs to be investigated or changed. You might have an area you would like to explore. Think on what your topic might involve, talk to colleagues and friends about your initial ideas, ask for their support and collaboration. Early consultation is important.
Check on whether similar research has already been conducted. You may connect with people who work in the same field. Connect with other researches to present your ideas.
The research problem leads to research question and hypothesis.
The list of research question should be restricted to two questions. One of primary interest and second of investigation problems.
The questions need to be realistic and feasible, clear and unambiguous, of sufficient importance and ethical.
Begin to make notes of your first ideas. Organise your notes to different categories so that you can easily find them. Write any ideas that you can think of. The charts might look disorganised but as long as you understand it is is fine.
Your first draft might be a mess but it doesn't matter. You second attempt will be more focused and you will be closer to making a firm decision of which aspect of your topic to investigate. Never throw away your notes, at least until your research is completed.
Consider your priorities.
The study purpose
It might be difficult at this stage to provide exact wording. It is important, however, to know why you want to carry out your research. Be critical. Say " The purpose of this study is..." and say what are the purposes. Each question may raise other issues and those will give us ideas of where we are heading. We are still at the what stage, and the how stage will come later. Each stage is about clarifying and refining so that we can end up with a list of questions tasks and objectives to perform and examine.
Hypothesis and objectives
Many research questions begin with the statement of hypothesis. Hypothesis is defined as "a tentative proposition subject to verification through investigation. It descries the method by which we study a problem. These can be "hunches" that research has about existence of relationships between variables." ( Verma and Beard, 1981: 184)
It is also defined as "imaginative preconception of what might be true which might go a way beyond we have authority to believe in. It is then exposed to criticism on whether the imaginary world is true. It is the dialog between the imaginary and critical voice, a dialogue, between the possible and the actual, between proposal and disposal, between what may be true what the actual case." ( Medawar, 1972 :22)
Hypothesis make statements between variables and provide a guide to the researches on how the original "hunch" might be tested. We then attempt to find out on whether that is the case. Te result of the research will either support the hypothesis or or will not support it.
The term "theory" differs from hypothesis. In science, it is an explanation of some aspects that can be repeatedly tested, using a predefined protocol or observation.
Small scale projects will not require statistical testing of hypothesis. What is important is that we thought about what is worth investigating. It might be required to change the questions as we progress, but we need to clearly identify what we are doing and knowing the outset.
Working title and project outline
We need to be clear about the purpose of the study and that it is worth doing. We need to decide on the study focus. Go through all of your key questions and define the priorities. There will almost certainly be adjustments as the research continues. You begin to consider what information you might need to be in the position to answer your questions. You may start to consider possible ways and means of obtaining the information. Remember, that you can't assume that you will be allowed to interview people as you need to obtain permissions.
Here, you might be ready to produce the first draft of the project outline. Think about time. Have you got enough time to complete all the tasks?
Timing
There is never enough time to do what needs to be done but the work needs to be completed in a specific time. It is unlikely that you will keep up with the timeline, but it is helpful to devise the schedule so that you can check the progress periodically and force yourself to move to further stages. It is important to note the times and dates on which data should be collected, analysed and draft produced.
Generally, the reading takes longer than anticipated and we often have a strong temptations to read one more book or article. A decision has to be made to stop reading and start writing. Forcing yourself to move on is something we need to learn. Talk to others about problems you encounter, so that you have a change for amending the original project plans. It is better to change the focus at as early stages as possible.
The research diary
You might be in trouble if you are waiting for the final report to write anything. Writing should be ongoing, starting with your planning and then as you go along. A research notebook might be a good idea. This document will track the progress of your research and become invaluable for your final report. Meeting records and minutes are also important. Don't forget to ask for permissions.
Include in your notes everything you know. Rough notes, brief summaries, target dates, dates of interviews and good ideas in the middle of the night when you cannot sleep. Records of name, addresses, people names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses. Reminder of anything we should do or ask. A note on how we might resolve a problem. A reference that someone told us or we have come across. Try to add a day to every entry and be organised. Adopt ways of working that suit you. We start the diary as soon as we start the research, keep it going and get into habit of writing it all.
Planning the project checklist
Below is a checklist for planning a project that you might find useful.
Draw up a shortlist of topics. Talk to colleagues, manager - anyone who will listen. Google your topics and ask questions about it. Bookmark interesting pages.
Decide on the shortlist of two. Select first choice and keep the second one in case you are unable to progress with the first one.
Make the list of first and second thoughts and questions. Produce a mind-chart of ideas, possible problems or anything you can think of. It will help you to clarify your thoughts about which aspects of the topic are of particular interest and importance.
Select the clear focus of your study. Be clear which aspects of the topic you want to investigate. Think about whether it is worth investigating. You do not want to be stuck with a topic that is going nowhere or which is boring for you.
Make sure that you are clear about the purpose of the study. Give some thought to your sample. Consult manager on who might need to be involved.
Go back to your charts and list of questions, delete any items which are not related to your topic, add those which are relevant, remove overlaps and produce revised list of key questions. You are aiming to produce researchable questions. Be careful about the meaning of the words.
Draw up initial project outline. Be clear about the purpose and focus of your research. Have clear question and know what information you will require about how you may obtain the information. Check your submission date. Ensure that you have enough time to carry out the research.
Consult your manager when selecting a topic after you have drawn up the project outline. Make sure that you discuss a suitable sample and find out who you should approach for permission.
Keep a brief record on what has been discussed and agreed.
Don't make unreasonable demands to your managers.
From start of your research get into the habit of writing everything down. Don't throw away or delete your drafts until your investigation has been submitted, assessed and published.
Start a research diary as soon as you begin your research.
Bibliography:
Bell J, 2017, "Doing your research project", McGraw Hill, 2017, Chapter 3
Brett Davies, M. (2007) Doing a Successful Research Project: Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Eley, A. and Jennings, R. (2005) Effective Postgraduate Supervision: Improving the Student–Supervisor Relationship. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
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