What are the best strategies for creating your own original contribution to knowledge?

1 Identify a gap

The first step is to identify a gap in the existing literature that your research can fill. This means conducting a thorough and critical literature review, where you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of previous studies, theories, and methods. You should look for inconsistencies, contradictions, limitations, or unanswered questions that your research can address. You should also consider how your research can extend, challenge, or refine the current knowledge in your field.

2 Develop a research question

The next step is to develop a research question that guides your inquiry and reflects your contribution. A good research question is clear, focused, feasible, and significant. It should not be too broad or too narrow, too simple or too complex, too vague or too specific. It should also be relevant to your discipline, your audience, and your purpose. Your research question should indicate what you want to find out, why it matters, and how you plan to approach it.

3 Choose a suitable method

The third step is to choose a suitable method for collecting and analyzing your data. Your method should be appropriate for your research question, your discipline, and your ethical standards. You should also justify why you selected this method and how it will help you answer your research question. Depending on your field, you may use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, or a combination of different techniques, such as surveys, interviews, experiments, observations, or document analysis.

4 Interpret your findings

The fourth step is to interpret your findings and discuss their implications. This means explaining what your data means, how it relates to your research question, and how it compares to the existing literature. You should also acknowledge the limitations of your study, the potential sources of bias or error, and the alternative interpretations of your results. You should also highlight the originality, significance, and relevance of your findings for your field and society.

5 Communicate your contribution

The final step is to communicate your contribution effectively and persuasively. This means organizing your writing in a clear and logical structure, using appropriate language and style, and following the conventions and guidelines of your discipline and publication outlet. You should also use evidence, citations, and references to support your claims and acknowledge the sources of your ideas. You should also emphasize how your research adds value, advances knowledge, or solves a problem in your field.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?