ABSTRACT
Research is a process as well as a product. e process begins with an idea of inquiry. What am I burning to know? What am I interested in nding out? What is meaningful to me and relevant to my musical life? What am I passionate about? What is my topic? ese questions lead the brainstorming process to identifying a topic. Parallel to this process, library searches and initial readings will help si through many thoughts and sort out the literature. A hierarchy of sub-topics may emerge. e process shis gears toward the rst step of productive research, when the topic develops into a viable research question. e well-developed question and a set of sub-questions can dene the research process. e question can lead to an appropriate research design and eventually cohesive conclusion(s), the resultant outcome may constitute a new theory, perspective, knowledge, paradigm, methodology, or insight, and could introduce new policy or curricular change. us, good research starts from the introspective impetus of an inquiry and ends with a product that adds to the body of existing knowledge as well as practice.
