The Key Issues That Students Must Focus On

Research studies are an integral part of the learning process for undergraduate and graduate courses. Students are usually required to conduct research studies to demonstrate that they are capable of engaging in intellectual inquiry and making significant findings concerning a particular research issue related to their area of study. Research also enables students to engage in critical thinking as they make claims relating to a research problem (Wood & Ross-Kerr, 2010). These claims should often be supported by evidence and logic. The research planning process is an important undertaking when seeking to conduct a research study because it ensures that the researcher carries out a study that is credible, reliable, and useful. This paper examines how to get started and set the stage for a research paper. One of the key issues that students must focus on is the selection of a research topic. The research topic selected is determined by whether the researcher has the capability to conduct an inquiry into the issue effectively and whether the institution can support the project. The interest areas of the student should also guide the identification of the research topic. There is a need to conduct a research study on a topic that the researcher finds interesting or has an interest in to motivate the researcher to conduct a rigorous study. Research can be complicated and time-consuming. Focusing on a subject that interests the researcher thus ensures that there is adequate motivation to conduct and complete the study (Altinay, Paraskevas & Jang, 2015). Once the research area is identified, the student can use the Internet to check existing studies within the research area. Online databases such as Google Scholar can help the student to determine whether the particular area of interest has been researched extensively and the specific studies that exist. Students should plan to research topics that have not been researched extensively to make a meaningful contribution to the research area. Alternatively, the researcher can decide to modify existing research topics to provide more insights into a research issue. The topic should be selected with an aim or purpose. That is, the researcher should select a topic that would present findings that can be used to solve a problem. The chosen research question should be something specific and which can be examined by the researcher. After selecting the research topic, the researcher should identify existing studies relating to the topic. Online databases such as Google Scholar and online libraries are an ideal platform for identifying these materials. The researcher should select recent studies, potentially those published within the last 5 or 10 years, for the literature review. The importance of using recent studies is that new research can present findings that dispute or render previous studies incorrect (Wood & Ross-Kerr, 2010). The literature review should enable the researcher to identify various concepts relating to the research topic. The review should be focused on the research questions, and aims identified. The researcher should also study research methods to select the most appropriate research approaches for the study. Ideally, the research methodology is usually influenced by the research topic, and research aims identified for the study. A research question aims to prove a specific theory is often examined using quantitative techniques, while a research question that aims to develop new theories is usually examined using qualitative techniques. Selecting the appropriate research methodology determines the validity and reliability of the study (Wood & Ross-Kerr, 2010). Additionally, the research methodology determines the usefulness of the research findings. The selection of the research methodology thus determines how effectively the research issue is explored. The researcher should thus consider the research methodology when selecting the study topic. A research that is not competent in quantitative techniques should select a topic that would allow him or her to use qualitative techniques for the inquiry. While the research methodology is selected after identifying the research topic, the two are significantly interlinked, and the researcher should always have an idea of the research approach to be employed when choosing the research topic. The researcher should further familiarize themselves with the research approach selected to ensure that it can be applied based on resource and time constraints. Overall, a well-outlined research methodology enhances the clarity of the study and enhances study validity.The researcher should also have a timeline for conducting the study. This is an important part of the planning process to ensure the researcher conducts a rigorous study with credible findings. While developing a timeline, the researcher should also have a budget for conducting the research, especially for activities such as face to face interviews. Having a timeline for the research and a budget ensures that the study is conducted properly and that financial constraints do not hinder the realization of the study objectives (Altinay, Paraskevas & Jang, 2015). There is a need to mention that due to time and resource constraints, it is important to select organizations and respondents that can easily be accessed. In conclusion, the paper has outlined the research planning process for a valid and reliable study. The paper shows that one of the most important tasks in the planning process is the selection of the research topic. The research topic determines the research methodology. The researcher should thus ensure that the topic selected is an issue that can be examined effectively based on his or her methodological competencies. Additionally, the topic should be an issue that the researcher has the resources and time to explore.

References

Altinay, L., Paraskevas, A., & Jang, S. S. (2015). Planning research in hospitality and tourism . Routledge.

Wood, M. J., & Ross-Kerr, J. (2010). Basic steps in planning nursing research: From question to proposal . Jones & Bartlett Publishers.