1. Do your research before you start your project - Spend some time reading around the topics you are interested in. There is a good chance others have researched/written about similar topics and their ideas can give some good pointers as to where your research might go!
2. Write up as you go -
Don’t wait until the last few weeks to put your ideas down. Even very rough drafts can be a good starting point. It is better to have things to edit/delete rather than starting with a blank page.
3. Talk to others -
Most budding researcher's feel they don’t have anything interesting to share with others and so don’t talk about their research while they are in the thick of it. However, if you share your thoughts you might see that others had similar problems or they might be able to give you some ideas on how to move forward!
4. Be able to explain your project in 2 minutes -
Being able to explain your work in very few words shows that you have clarity in your argument and most likely those reading your research will be able to tell in a few minutes what your research is about.
5. Pay attention to what people say (or don’t say) -
When you are collecting data pay attention to not only what people are saying, but also what they might not. Some interesting insights can be found in the silencers, the ‘erms’. So start collecting data leaving your preconceptions of what the answers might be behind.
6. Use online spaces to your benefit - The fact that people are so willing to share their opinions online makes it easy for researchers to spot trends, opinions, insights on various platforms. So when you are thinking of where to start, think outside the box and see if you can spot consumer/customer/business trends online which can lead to interesting research questions.