ABSTRACT
Identifying problems and evaluating their suitability for research is a high priority for researchers. We need to know where to look for problems and how to carry out an effective search. We also want to be reasonably sure that any problem we choose to study is worthy of the effort. Nobody wants to spend years heading for a destination that no one wanted to reach in the first place. Although it is not possible to give a definitive answer to the question of what makes for a worthwhile research topic, I can offer some useful pointers that will increase the chances of making a wise choice.
