When you do a research project at the graduate level, you have to look at it as a professional project, rather than another homework assignment. Not only does your research project require more in the way of in-depth research; it may be published by the school. This can lead to many professional opportunities for you, but it can also be your downfall if you do not go about it correctly. Below are some tips to help you navigate this project.
Use the right tools. Do NOT even think about sourcing places like Wikipedia. You need peer reviewed journals and other sources that are recognized by the academic world. You should also use a laboratory research notebook to keep track of your notes. Your laboratory research notebook is important because it provides a legal document to reference the progress of your research. If you are also saving data online, be sure to use a cloud service so that you have your data even if your computer crashes.
Don’t be afraid to refine your hypothesis. Before you get too far into writing your paper, make sure you have several sources to back up the facts you use to develop your hypothesis. If you don’t, you may want to rethink your hypothesis to do the research to back up the hypothesis you wanted to work on. Keep in mind that this frequently happens when you do qualitative research that tends to evolve as you work your way through the project. You may want to stick with quantitative research if you are in a hurry to complete the project.