■	

Know your field continued

Topicality and currency
■	What issues are most live in recent
research publications in your field?
■	How are these relevant in your topic?
■	Which specialist articles cover these
issues?
■	Pendulum swings
Sometimes the pendulum swings backwards and forwards, with different perspectives or interpretations coming into favour or being rejected. If that is the case for an issue you are hoping to research:
■	What are the alternative positions on the
issue?
■	Where does the pendulum lie at this
point?

■	Methods
■	Are there standard methods for researching topics similar to the one you have in mind?
■	Are there current methodological issues
or problems in researching in this area? If so, what do you need to be mindful of for your own project?
■	Are there particular challenges facing
researchers in this field? If so, what are these and why do they arise? How will you address these in your own research?
■	Ideology
■	
Reflection

Which of the aspects above are ones that you are most and least familiar with in your field – and which do you need to address?

Understand your field

Are there ideological differences in the way the topic is written about? How does this affect the way the research is undertaken or received?
■	How does this reflect your own position
on the issue?
■	How will you ensure that your own work is conducted in an objective way?
■	
Application
■	How is research in your area being applied within
the field, in industry or in everyday life?
■	Do any of these inspire you to research such
applications further?
■	Gaps
■	Which aspects are not yet fully researched?
■	What do researchers point to as future research
that will help advance understanding of the topic?
■	Trajectory and links
How has published research in this area changed in direction over time? Be clear in your own mind how understanding of this topic has developed through successive pieces of research or theoretical works.
■	Consider how each piece of research or set of ideas influenced others.
■	Note how each piece of research picks up where
previous research left off.
■	Note the literature review section of the books,
articles and theses that you read. Which previous
pieces of research does each refer to, and how?

Note the chain of contributions …

•	Who contributed to the topic?

•	What was their contribution?

•	What was the title of the research paper/text,

•	Was their work reviewed? If so, what strengths

and where were its full reference details?

•	How did this get picked up by any further

or limitations were identified?

research, and by whom?