Evaluation of your research topic.
Now that you have identified a research topic there is need to do more focus research for information on it. You need to recheck books, articles and journals, data bases paying particular attention to the topic
You should further clarify to yourself:
the problem/area you want to study,
the audience that will be interested in the results of this study, and
the possible worth of the results.
Remember your research should fill gaps in available information and not just summarize available information. It needs to have a positive effect on the research community.
You need to determine:
- Whether the research that you are aiming to do have been done before. If similar research has been done before, determine if any gaps exist and if the filling of these gaps will be of benefit to you and others e.g the scientific community. If the answer is yes, then you can choose this area. If the answer is no then you have to choose another topic
- If there is available secondary information to tackle the research problem given the requirements of the paper. A key requirement is that you have access to that material especially where case studies are being done/investigations of company performance.
- Whether the result of the research will add value to the available information on the topic.
- Proper Key words that will allow for effective secondary research and assist in answering the research questions
- The reliability of the secondary sources of information you intend to use should be determined. You need to use work that is credible.
A critical requirement is that you will be able to clearly articulate the research problem.
Once you have chosen the topic and identified its related issues, and developed a list of research questions, update your listing of available information. Check also my facebook page project management made easy for videos on research. Remember to like the page.
Good luck
NOTE: This post was done using books and several internet sources over a period of time to assist students being taught how to do research papers. Unfortunately all sources were not recorded and therefore quoted but as much as possible links were made.
One book is Practical Research by Paul Leedy and Jeanne Ormrod