Planning your research and designing your study

The research approach you choose will vary according to your topic and the sources available.  Start by considering your topic and then your question – what do you want to find out? What will be the best way to explore this topic and answer your question? Once you know what you would like to find out then you can start considering what methods you will use. It will be useful at this stage to explore some of the wider literature on research methods so that you can familiarise yourself with the range of research methods.

If you decide to engage in a desk-based research project, this will usually mean researching your dissertation using secondary sources to present a new interpretation of your topic.  

If you decide to engage in your own research, then you will need to consider selecting research methods appropriate to your area of interest. Think about what data you would like to gather and how you can gather that data. Bear in mind, that it is important to justify your choice of research method so when you write up your study, be prepared to let your reader know why your chosen approach is more appropriate rather than others.  

Identifying your sources