RESEARCH PLAN

At the start of a project , having already mapped out what you already know and having done some initial research to discover the basic information that is the foundation of the project, you will come to a point where you may understand that there are some things that you really need to know that you simply have no experience of. You may come to realise this yourself or it may be pointed out to you.

This is when you need a really good, high quality, PRIMARY source of information so that you can become an expert in the field that you are designing in.

At this point it is useful to develop an ongoing research plan that will be used, revised and added to, and constantly updated.

(It is wise to accept that there are some things that you don't know and need to know in order to develop further, and it is good practise to always be asking yourself questions like: "What am I missing here? WHat else could help me? Where can I find out more about this? Am I still working towards solving the right problem or am I a bit lost? How can I re-focus on what is important?" It is also wise to accept that sometimes you don't know how much you don't know)

A research plan can be set out under the main procedural headings of:

• What use is the information? How will it help the project?
• What type of information is required?
• Where can I get the information from?
• What is the best method of getting the information?
• When do I need the information for it to be useful?