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KSCOM Research 3.0 getting started

Getting Started: Your Topic

When you have an idea for a research project, there are a few things to consider to help ensure that your idea will translate to project. To get started, draft a working title. Be sure to use concise language that is easily understood by your peers. This can be honed as you work through your project but serves a ‘guiding star’ to avoid getting distracted or off topic in your project development. To develop your title: 

  1. Jot down ideas as you come across interesting topics in your studies, cases in rotation, or things you hear about in the news and from other professionals. 

  1. Utilize your team and/or the Office of Research and Scholarly Activities team to help you develop this title further by registering your idea in the Commons. Registering your project is a requirement for all KHSU students and faculty.

Getting Started: Literature Review

After crafting your title, you will need to do a literature review to investigate what has been done on this topic up to now. The time you spend in the library doing this background work is critical to understanding how your project should proceed. Check out the Library Search and Literature Review pages for more information on these important areas. 

Additionally, ask yourself and/or your team: 

  1. Can this topic be researched?  
    • Do you have the resources to conduct the study? 
    • Will you need human participants?  Do you have access to these? 
    • Do you have access to the data? 
    • Do you have time and the bandwidth? 
    • Do you have the expertise (or access to expertise) in this subject matter? 
  2. Should this topic be researched? 
    • Will it add to the body of knowledge?  
    • Will it meaningfully reproduce previous studies? 
    • Will it address social justice issues and/or under-represented people? 
    • Does it add another perspective of a solution or problem?
    • Will this topic contribute toward your future specialty and practice goals? 

Now you have a title, explored the initial feasibility of a project, and done a precursory literature review. You're off to a great start! Now it's time to talk to your faculty advisor to make sure you are going down the right path. An advisor should have some knowledge of the content you are studying and/or have experience in research methodologies and ethics. Go to Step 2: Finding Collaborators for guidance in this area.