ABSTRACT
Research is generally presented to us in a “backwards” format: that is, we see the end result first. This means research published in reports or journals may not always tell the whole research story. While they give us a “finished product”, we’re discouraged from thinking about how the research was created or conducted (Slife and Christensen, 2013; Woolgar, 1996). Planning is probably the most important aspect of any study, but is frequently hurried or overlooked. Yet if we miss these key skills we may never get to see our work published. Our findings may not be implemented or sustained, and time and money may be wasted. Or, equally worryingly, work that was poorly designed with inaccurate outcomes might be adopted when it should have been discarded. This chapter will cover the issues and questions that will form the focus of a project or study, including:
These issues all need consideration, but different studies at different levels will also have different requirements. The above factors don’t apply to all research projects (for example, if you are carrying out a student project you may not need to think about budgets).
