Plan for research
Identifying and developing research
Systematic vs literature reviews
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Researcher Skills Toolkit
A thesis is required to be original research and should add to the knowledge within your discipline. Identifying a research gap can help determine what your original research could be. Your supervisor may be able to assist in identifying research gaps which will help your thesis to contribute to the current knowledge in your discipline.
A research gap can only be identified by conducting a thorough review of the current literature. A literature review not only shows research gaps but can also add context and justification to your own research. The type of literature review you perform will also determine the type and amount of information needed for your research.
There are a range of review types that are often discipline-based and can be very different in structure, length of time needed to complete, and the number of researchers involved.
Once you have identified the research gap through your review you can articulate your hypothesis and be clearer on the direction your research or thesis should take.
Developing a well-focused research question helps guide your research and enables construction of a clear argument. It can also inform your search strategy and the content of your thesis, journal article or other research output. A research question is different from your research hypothesis, title, or focus. A research question will summarise the main topic of your research.
According to Foss and Waters, a well-defined research question has six properties:
| Theoretical Construct | Identifies the theoretical construct/s you want to learn more about. |
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| Recognisability | Assists you to use terminology which is recognisable in the field of expertise. |
| Transcends the Data | Transcends the data used to conduct the research. |
| Significance | Draws attention to the significance of the research. |
| Capacity to Surprise | Has the capacity to surprise the researcher as they research. |
| Robust | Encourages a complex answer (i.e., not a 'yes' or 'no' response). |
Some examples of how to structure the start of a research question are:
Some questions to ask yourself during the creation of your research question:
Discuss your research question with your supervisor, project manager or research collaborators to make sure it is a concise question before you start your research. It may evolve throughout the research process but having a clear and robust research question at the beginning can prevent time wasted on research that may not be relevant.
Identifying a research methodology provides structure and focus to how you will conduct and collect your research. There are two general approaches to collecting data: quantitative and qualitative research.
The data collected is expressed in numbers and graphs to confirm theories and assumptions. Quantitative data can be collected in many ways:
| Surveys or questionnaires | Ask the same questions to large numbers of participants, or use Likert scales which measure opinions as numerical data |
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| Observation | Can either involve counting the number of times a specific phenomenon occurs, or the coding of observational data in order to translate into numbers |
| Content analysis | Sourcing numerical data from text sources or counting word occurrences |
| Experiments | Testing hypotheses in laboratories, testing cause and effect relationships, through field experiments, or via quasi- or natural experiments. |
This method is used to understand thoughts, concepts, or experiences of people using the following methods:
| Interviews | These can be structured, semi-structured or unstructured in-depth sessions with the researcher and a participant. |
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| Focus groups | Usually involve several participants discussing a particular topic or a set of questions. Researchers can be facilitators or observers. |
| Observations | On-site, in-context or role-play options. |
| Document analysis | Interrogation of correspondence (letters, diaries, emails etc) or reports. |
| Oral history or life stories | Remembrances or memories of experiences told to the researcher. |
You can also combine both methods to have a 'mixed-method' research methodology.
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SAGE Research Methods includes resources covering the steps of developing a research question, doing a literature review, planning a project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing up a report, dissertation, or thesis, plus detailed information on hundreds of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. |
There are multiple ways you can gather information for your research. One place to start searching for background information (usually included in books) is Library Search (the blue box on the Library home page).
The University of Newcastle also provides access to many multidisciplinary and subject-specific databases which can be found in the A-Z database list. These databases will assist you to identify journal and some conference literature.
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For instructions on how to find grey literature such as government reports and patents you can work through this tutorial. For more in-depth instructions on searching go to the Find information module of this Toolkit. |
You will need to decide on which referencing style to use for your thesis. Often your supervisor will suggest a style that they are familiar with or that is commonly used within your discipline.
Journals may require different referencing styles for submissions. Check the ‘Instructions for Authors’ on the relevant journal website for details.
For detailed instructions on referencing, view the Library’s Referencing guides.
As you are likely to have many references for your thesis it can be beneficial and save time to use citation management programs such as EndNote. EndNote can assist you to collate, store, and organise your references and can be shared and edited by others if you are working collaboratively.
For more information on Endnote please see the Library’s Endnote guide and the Manage references section in Module 3 of this Toolkit..
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