Conducting a piece of educational research: Choice of topic, adoption of suitable research methodology, and narrowing down of investigative focus

This paper reports on the thought processes engaged in at the early stage of conducting a piece of educational research. Using her own PhD study as an example, the presenter will outline in three separate sections how to choose a broad topic to investigate, select a suitable research methodology, and narrow the focus of the investigation. The first section discusses a number of ways to identify a research topic and argues that an appropriate topic is one which takes the role of educational research into consideration. The second one focuses on the thinking involved when selecting a methodology to use once a broad focus has been decided upon, and the final section demonstrates how a broad research focus can be narrowed down to a specific investigative level.