The most common problem with students' initial ideas is that they are too broad. Go for (reasonably) narrow and deep, rather than broad and shallow
Make sure the topic is sufficiently interesting (and preferably multi-faceted) to keep you going: a lot of poor work is ultimately due to boredom!
Check your access to resources: are you reasonably confident at this stage that you can get access to
- appropriate literature?
- people you may wish to interview?
If you need to contact organisations for information, start on that as soon as your plans are clear: the turn-around time can be lengthy (although the information is often simply on their website).
Check that you have the necessary skills: if you are going to do something quantitative, do you know enough statistics? Read up on relevant research methods.
Draw up a timetable for stages (Chapters) of the project: what do you expect to have done by when? You may not stick to it, but you need to know roughly where you are.
Make sure the topic is sufficiently interesting (and preferably multi-faceted) to keep you going: a lot of poor work is ultimately due to boredom!
Check your access to resources: are you reasonably confident at this stage that you can get access to
- appropriate literature?
- people you may wish to interview?
If you need to contact organisations for information, start on that as soon as your plans are clear: the turn-around time can be lengthy (although the information is often simply on their website).
Check that you have the necessary skills: if you are going to do something quantitative, do you know enough statistics? Read up on relevant research methods.
Draw up a timetable for stages (Chapters) of the project: what do you expect to have done by when? You may not stick to it, but you need to know roughly where you are.
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