Week 3. Research Design

Last week we talked about some of the most popular paradigms, and how they shape our research. This week we discussed how to select a research project, the importance of questions, and some interesting strategies for research planning.
When choosing a research project we need to take into consideration what its implications are, what is the purpose of the research, who the beneficiaries are and how realistic is the project in terms of resources and time.
There are a lot of different sources for research projects: Problems we find in our everyday work, interesting questions and even guesses or hunches that can be tested. Looking at my own experience, what motivated me to start this program was the first one I mentioned before. Working in a specific topic for several years bring curiosity into the equation, that's why I want to know more about research policy implementation in my own country because I wish to improve those practices when I come back.
Research Questions are fundamental for this type of projects because they guide the research. Until I came here I didn't fully notice the importance of conversations, congress attendance or networking for shaping our own research interests. These activities can provide us with new insights, ideas or concerns we can use for future research.
It is fundamental to define research questions accurately, considering clarity, focus, and purpose. The research question also defines the scope of our study, and the orientation of the literature review. The literature review provides a justification of the issue we want to research, it must inform the research, and establish key facts.