Select a topic
The Student typically begins with an idea related to something he or she has noticed in the real world; then the student goes to the research literature to learn what other research has been done on this topic.
Through this review of the literature, the student discovers controversies related to the topic, difficulties previous researchers have faced dealing with the topic, various methodologies used in exploring the subject, and related areas that must be incorporated.
It is a process that alternates between what the student knows about the topic based on real-world experience with the phenomenon and what the student learns from the research literature.
