Choosing a question and a method

Doing research is very different from reading about it. This chapter helps you plan a small study of your own.

Step 1: narrow the topic. Start with a broad topic, then turn it into one specific question you can actually answer.

Example: the broad topic 'co-educational versus single-sex schools' could become: 'Do girls in co-educational schools take part in class discussions as often as boys?' That is a question you can study.

Step 2: choose a method. A research question can usually be answered by more than one method, but not by every method. Choose on two kinds of grounds:

• Technical: does the method fit the question? Opinions of many people suit a survey; how people behave suits observation; past events suit archives.
• Practical: how much time do you have? How many people can you reach? How much money is needed? Will you get permission (from a school, a factory, an office)?

Step 3: expect problems. Research rarely goes exactly to plan:

• you may not get permission;
• many questionnaires may not come back, or come back half filled;
• people may not be available when you need them.

These are practical problems, and every researcher faces them. Decide in advance how you will handle them, and report them honestly in your project.

The rule to remember: question first, then method. Do not pick a favourite method and then look for something to use it on.