I’ve just picked up a copy of ‘How to do your research project’ by Gary Thomas.. I’ve read the first chapter and from what I’ve seen its really nicely written and very accessible. There is a companion website and some useful downloads including checklists, planning documents and research route maps. Seems reasonably priced on both Amazon and Sage websites.
Developing valid research questions is hard work! I think this is one of the most demanding parts of any research project, and it often takes me weeks, if not months pulling together my ideas into a workable research question.
Here are some videos that discuss ‘research questions’ you might find interesting, if you’re thinking about doing a PhD or helping undergraduate students with their dissertation.
So, what do you want to find out? What are you curious about? Are you motivated to do it? Is it really interesting? Is the research going to be answerable? What literature exists? Why are you doing it? Who will be interested in what you find out? Can you narrow it?
Books worth reading:
Computing and Research 