It's time for you to start your research!
Ask yourself the following questions:
You start by exploring the information landscape: the types of information and the databases that you can use. You then identify your information needs and conduct an initial exploration of the topic, so that you can generate your research question.
Exploring databases
NHL Stenden owns licenses for various databases. You can use the filters on the databases page to see which database is suitable for which subject, or you can filter by source type.
Selecting Types of Information Sources and How to Read a Scholarly article
Not all materials are suitable for every purpose. Sometimes you will need to find information about the most recent developments in your field, and at other times you will need to find statistics to support your research. The first video below tells you which materials are useful for finding out facts, which are suitable for finding background information, and which can be used for the most up-to-date information.
The second video tells you how to read a scholarly article.
When defining an information need, the assumption is that there is a problem that requires information for it to be solved. To formulate this information need, it is possible to use the 5 Ws and 1 H method. This can help to identify the target group, research scope and research goal, for example. It also clarifies the context.
This also helps you to start framing your research question. You can also see this as clarifying the question. You consider your subject from the perspective of practice (at the micro or meso level) and from the literature (at the macro level), and you include these different perspectives in your problem analysis.
The 5W1H method can help you to better understand your assignment, research question or context (what, why, who, where, when, how).
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5W1H |
Questions |
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What |
What is the assignment? What is the problem? What is he/she/they going through? What are you going to discuss? What is being done or has been done? What is the situation? What should have been done? What do we want to solve? What are your impressions? What are the specific characteristics/differences compared to other products? What is the intended result of the project? |
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Why |
Why is this happening (reason/cause)? Why do we need to solve this? Why do we need to make a decision about this? Why do we need to spend time on this? Why do we want to achieve this result? Why is this strategic? |
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Who |
Who is affected? Who will you discuss this with? Who needs to solve the situation? Who needs to do something about it? Who are the stakeholders? Who is the target group? Who is in the team? Who is the decision maker? |
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Where |
Where does it take place (location)? Where is it seen (process, etc.)? Where am I in this group? Where will we implement the solution? Where will the decision be made? Where are we going to organise it? |
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When |
When will it happen? When did it happen? When did it take place? At various times? After a particular action (problem, situation, etc.)? When does it need to be solved? When does the decision need to be implemented? When does it need to be finished? When do I teach? |
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How |
How is it expressed (problem, situation, etc.)? How are we going to solve it? How are we going to implement the decision? How are we going to approach this? How are we going to find the budget for this? How are we going to implement this project? |
Selecting Types of Information Sources and How to Read a Scholarly article
Not all materials are suitable for every purpose. Sometimes you will need to find information about the most recent developments in your field, and at other times you will need to find statistics to support your research. The first video below tells you which materials are useful for finding out facts, which are suitable for finding background information, and which can be used for the most up-to-date information.
The second video tells you how to read a scholarly article.
UTC Library. (23 January 2019). Source Types. [Video]. You Tube. https://youtu.be/iEKtYwfTuYM?si=uchO1OE1zqLTp3s7
JHU Sheridan Libraries & University Museums. (n.d.) Developing a Research Question. [Video]. https://youtu.be/aF1Yu1aL2hw
Then, you formulate a research question, which consists of a main question and possibly sub-questions.
The main question is the central research question and either matches the problem statement or is directly derived from it. This question is the starting point of your research. It clearly defines what you want to find out and guides your search. This is why it is important to formulate your question carefully.
A good main question is:
You can use the SMART method to help formulate your main question.
SMART stands for:
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Acceptable
R = Realistic
T = Time-bound
The question is Specific. Clearly state what the outcome of your research should be. A question that is too general, broad or poorly defined will quickly lead you astray in a sea of information.
The question is Measurable. Indicate as concretely as possible how you will determine whether the goal has been achieved.
The question is Acceptable. Is there enough support from the client or supervisor, and do you have access to the necessary resources?
The question is Realistic. Be ambitious, but make sure that the goal is achievable and the plans are executable.
The question is Time-bound. You have a start and end point, and it must be possible to find an answer to your question within that time frame.
It is also important to ask an open-ended question – not one that can be answered with just 'yes' or 'no'.
Are the main points and scope of your assignment clear? If so, you can start to explore the possibilities of your topic. Search broadly for information about your topic and let yourself be guided by the information that you find. During this exploratory search phase, you will gradually gain a clearer picture of your topic. This will help you to narrow it down and eventually formulate specific research questions.
There are several ways to explore a topic:
After the exploratory phase, you will have a clearer picture of the possibilities within your topic. Determine which aspects of the topic you will and will not cover. This helps prevent your topic from becoming too broad and keeps you from getting lost while searching for information.
You can also narrow down your topic by choosing a specific time period, or by focusing on a particular country or language.
McCombes, S., George, T. (November 11, 2022).How to Choose a Dissertation Topic: 8 Steps to Follow. Scribbr https://www.scribbr.com
A research question is more complex than a search question. You conduct more in-depth research, and the question is more specific. To answer it properly, you will need to formulate sub-questions. When working with a research question, use a step-by-step plan as a structured approach is important to achieve good results.
Your search question overlaps with your research question but focuses specifically on your search for literature. Your practical research is often at the micro or meso level, while your search question operates at the macro level. The literature and sources that you find serve as the theoretical framework for your research, so that you build on existing knowledge about your topic.
From your search question, you extract search terms. Place these terms in a search scheme. This scheme then forms the basis for the building block method. In the building block method, you combine search terms and synonyms using Boolean operators (AND-OR-NOT).
You can find more about the search question in the section Search and find.
There are different types of questions:
For more complex problems, you will need to break down your main question into several sub-questions. These sub-questions relate to specific aspects of your main question. By zooming in on these sub-aspects, answering your main question becomes more manageable. Together, all the sub-questions directly contribute to answering the main question.
You may encounter different types of questions, ranging from simple look-up questions to complex research questions. Broadly speaking, there are different types of questions:
Factual (look-up) question
This is a specific, simple question: you are looking for a clear, factual answer. Simple does not always mean easy to find – the accuracy of the facts is important. Choosing a reliable source of information is therefore essential.
Exploratory question
When asking an exploratory question about your topic, you are not searching in a very targeted way. Instead, you are exploring the topic broadly to figure out what you really want to research. You aim to form a general picture – the question is general in nature. In practice, you will also explore some sub-aspects.
Relationship between the problem statement, objective and main research question: see video below
Once you have found various sources of information, you can formulate the problem statement and draw up a theoretical framework.
Sources Videos's:
Research With Fawad (n.d.). From Literature to Research Problem, Objectives and Questions. [Video]. You Tube. https://youtu.be/727Mcdsdhwk
Grad Coach. (n.d.). Theoretical Framework versus Conceptual Framework. [Video]. You Tube. https://youtu.be/hilKsiLYRJs