Starting a research project requires: good planning, critical thinking, and a smart strategy for gathering information.
In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, the ability to effectively search for, evaluate, and use scholarly resources is more important than ever. Successful research depends on strong literacy skills, including AI literacy, communication, information, digital, and search engine literacy. Each of these literacies plays a crucial role in navigating and making the most of the vast amount of information available.
| AI Literacy |
AI literacy is about understanding how AI works and how to use AI tools, including ethical considerations. Find out more in our AI Literacy guide. |
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| Communication Literacy |
Communication literacy involves the ability to communicate information clearly and effectively through writing, speaking, and digital media. |
| Digital Literacy | Digital literacy includes the skills required to navigate and use digital tools and platforms, such as software, apps, and the internet, safely and effectively.
Find out more about ECU's Digital Literacy Framework and explore our Digital Essentials Library Guide. |
| Information Literacy | Information literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. It helps distinguish between credible sources and unreliable ones, ensuring that research is accurate and relevant. Explore our Information Essentials Library Guide. |
| Search Engine Literacy | Search engine literacy is the ability to use search engines effectively to find information. This includes advanced search techniques, evaluating source credibility, and avoiding misinformation. |
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Define the research problem and formulate research questions |
Start by identifying a research problem - a specific issue, gap. This guides the direction and focus of your study. A strong research question should be focused, researchable, feasible, specific, complex, and relevant to your field. For example, begin broadly, then refine the question as you understand your topic’s context and feasibility. |
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Select a research topic and write a research question |
Choose a topic that aligns with your academic interests and existing literature. Conduct preliminary reading to narrow your focus, identify unresolved debates or discrepancies, and articulate your central research question. Your question should align with your aims. |
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Conduct a literature review |
A literature review situates your research within the existing body of knowledge. It involves systematically collecting, analysing, and synthesising sources relevant to your topic. Use a well-planned search strategy to ensure comprehensive coverage. Follow these key steps:
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Choose the type of review |
Select a review type that fits your purpose and scope. Your choice depends on research goals and the level of comprehensiveness needed.
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Analyse, select, and evaluate sources |
Assess the quality and credibility of each source using criteria such as authority, accuracy, currency, relevance, and objectivity. Identify research gaps and refine questions or hypotheses. A research gap is an unexplored question or problem in existing literature. Look for recurring “further research” or “limitations” sections in studies to identify opportunities for new investigation. Use this insight to refine or reformulate your research question for focus and originality. |
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Choose an appropriate research methodology |
Decide on the research approach that best suits your question and hypotheses. Find out more from Sage Research Methods database. |
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Seek additional resources (datasets, theses, grey literature) |
Gather supplementary information: Beyond standard journal articles, consider looking at grey literature and other resources. For instance, if you’re doing a systematic review or a big literature review, searching theses and reports may reveal studies with important insights that didn’t appear in peer-reviewed journals. |
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Collect and analyse data |
Implement systematic data collection using the tools suited to your research design - surveys, interviews, experiments, or content analysis. Also, use appropriate data analysis methods to interpret findings accurately and align them with the research question. |
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Interpret results in relation to research question |
Examine what the results mean. Interpretation involves making sense of your findings. Evaluate whether results answer your question or support your hypothesis. Discuss patterns, anomalies, and theoretical implications connecting back to your literature review and framework. |
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Discuss limitations and implications |
Be transparent about limitations such as sample size, methodological bias, or scope. Every research study has limitations, and it is important to be transparent about them. Explain what your findings mean in the bigger picture. |
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Draw conclusions and communicate findings |
Summarise how your research contributes new knowledge or insights to the field. Clearly articulate your conclusions and consider appropriate dissemination venue - academic journal articles, conference presentations. |
Edith Cowan University acknowledges and respects the Nyoongar people, who are
the traditional custodians of the land upon which its campuses stand and its programs
operate.
In particular ECU pays its respects to the Elders, past and present, of the Nyoongar
people, and embrace their culture, wisdom and knowledge.