United States Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR)

Amy Apodaca works at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research‘s Joint Theater Trauma System.

The development of a well-designed and concise research plan is the key to any successful research project. Good research plans provide a detailed map for the conceptual and logistical frameworks that serve as the support structure for your research project.

An important first step toward providing a sound conceptual foundation for your research project is the development of solid research questions and hypotheses. This process typically begins with a preliminary review of the existing literature for your topic. A research question poses a relationship between two or more variables but phrases the relationship in terms of some question.

A well researched and thought out question will help focus your ideas and ensure you are collecting the appropriate data. This is a critical step in the research process. The research question determines what, where, when, and how the data are collected and is an important link between the conceptual and logistic aspects of your research plan.

While reviewing the current literature and formulating your ideas, keep the following questions in mind:

• Why is this research important? What is it that we don’t know or fully understand?
• What have other researchers in my field done?
• What areas need further exploration?
• Can my study help fill in these gaps or lead to greater understanding?

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