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Research Methodologies

October 29, 2018

How to Design Research Game Concepts

Gamifying research offers a look into players’ implicit and system 1 thinking

by Emma Galvin

Creative Designer at Northstar Research

In last month’s Monthly Dose of Design, we examined how to effectively brand your research projects. This month we are looking at the key principles of conceptualising and designing a game concept that can be used within a research methodology.

But why should you use games within a research methodology?

Games are an effective way to engage research participants. This is because often people don’t know what they think or over rationalise their decisions. This means it can be hard to get a true reflection of their attitudes and behaviour. To overcome this, researchers often try to better understand attitudes and behaviours on an implicit/system 1 level (anything automatic, habitual, rapid or unconscious).

Gamifying research allows us to better understand implicit/system 1 thinking. It also increases participant engagement and increases motivation by using competition.

Having a game concept is the first step in designing a research game. A game concept is the idea that the game is built around. E.g. the concept behind Pokemon is ‘a world full of little monsters’ and the concept behind Monopoly is ‘property ownership and entrepreneurialism’.

Before you develop your concept you need to ask yourself the following key questions: What are the research objectives? Who is playing? What is the scene the game is set in? What is valuable in the game? What motivates players? What kind of problem-solving does the game use?

If you ask yourself these questions, you will be able to effectively brainstorm ideas that will help you generate a viable research game concept.

Concept Foundations

The foundations of your concept will be based on the story and aesthetics.

The story describes the world of your game. This is paramount at the start of the game as the copy and tone of voice sets the agenda for the rest of the game. The aesthetics encompass the visuals, sounds and animation. Both story and aesthetics are closely tied together and are integral to generating an engaging player experience.

Personalisation

Personalisation allows a player to become immersed – and therefore engaged – within a game. You can allow players to personalise the game experience by building personalised avatars to represent themselves.

Game Mechanics

Mechanics are the rulebook of the game. They set out the steps a player must take to achieve the goals of the game. When considering game mechanics, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, common game mechanics include:

• Capture (gaining territory or possessions) e.g. Risk
• Exploration (discovering new places or unlocking experiences) e.g. Warcraft
• Role Playing (being someone else) e.g. Zelda
• Puzzle-Solving (matching objects or solving riddles) e.g. Solitaire
• Dice Rolling (luck based-instructions) e.g. Backgammon
• Co-operative Play (collaborating with other players) e.g. Worms

Success Criteria

There needs to be some way of knowing when players have met the objectives of the game. Clear success visuals, sound and animations help establish a sense of success and completion. These can then lead on to reward screens. Clear communication of success criteria will avoid confusion and motivate players to continue participating.

Rewarding Players

It is integral to consider how you will reward your players. Rewards help to encourage game participation and enhance the game experience. This will provide richer results and insights. There are two ways to reward players – intrinsically and extrinsically.

Intrinsic rewards consist of in-game rewards. For example, earning points, getting recognition and encouragement for earning those points or unlocking other areas/elements of the game.

Extrinsic rewards are external rewards. For example, offering vouchers or cash incentives for scoring high points or completing a certain amount of levels of the game.

Competition

Competition is an interesting element to introduce into the game. It can thrive by encouraging better engagement. If your game is team-based, it can encourage richer collaboration within the teams. This can be done by using scoring systems that compare results across different players and leadership boards.

However, only introduce competition if it aids your game objectives, otherwise, it can create an unhealthy obsession with winning at any cost i.e. What is the most effective way to overtake my competitors? Which could compromise the quality of your results?

If you follow these rules you will have the foundations to develop a research game that will engage players and allow you to better understand implicit/system 1 thinking.

Emma Galvin

37 articles

The views, opinions, data, and methodologies expressed above are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official policies, positions, or beliefs of Greenbook.

Comments are moderated to ensure respect towards the author and to prevent spam or self-promotion. Your comment may be edited, rejected, or approved based on these criteria. By commenting, you accept these terms and take responsibility for your contributions.

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Copyright © 2024 New York AMA Communication Services, Inc. All rights reserved. 234 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001 | Phone: (212) 849-2752

100 research rules of the game: How to make your research world class; how to successfully publish in top international refereed journals

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal

ISSN : 0951-3574

Article publication date: 28 May 2019

Issue publication date: 28 May 2019

There are several basic, and at times minor, pedantic principles required to successfully publish in good-quality international peer-reviewed journals. These are what the author calls the “rules of the game”. Many are so basic, so taken-for-granted, tacit knowledge, that at times supervisors do not tell their students about them. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The author has assembled 100 research rules of the game from her work over many years with doctoral students and early career researchers. Each rule is accompanied by short advice. Additional citations are included directing readers to further resources on the 100 research rules of the game.

The paper documents 100 research rules of the game.

Research limitations/implications

There are many other rules of the game not included in the author’s list of 100 research rules of the game.

Originality/value

This paper is a one-stop-shop brief introduction to the author’s 100 research rules of the game.

• Rules of the game
• Publishing research
• Writing research

Brennan, N.M. (2019), "100 research rules of the game: How to make your research world class; how to successfully publish in top international refereed journals", Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal , Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 691-706. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-02-2019-032

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Niamh M. Brennan

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial & non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction to, and philosophy behind, the 100 research rules of the game

It is important for doctoral students, early career researchers and even more senior colleagues to know the basic, and at times minor, pedantic principles required to successfully publish research – what I call the “rules of the game [1] , [2] ”. These basic principles are ones I have learned and am still learning from colleagues and through trial and (a lot of) error. I share these rules with the intention of helping those at an earlier stage in their career to learn the principles which are often so taken for granted that they remain unspoken, tacit knowledge.

As a supervisor, I make sure all my masters and doctoral students know the rules of the game, but not all supervisors appear to do the same (if they know the rules of the game themselves, which is an assumption not always merited). These 100 research rules of the game complement Brennan’s (2019) “100 PhD rules of the game”, written for doctoral students.

These notes are a one-stop-shop resource for researchers. They also reflect some of my pet bugbears. Brennan (1998) is a precursor to this short article, written for my Master of Accounting students, providing guidance on how to write a masters dissertation.

Each rule is accompanied by a brief description/some advice and citations to support the rule. Most of the papers cited are short articles on a research rule-of-the-game topic.

I have organised the 100 rules into six sections. They start with some high-level general advice on conducting research and being a researcher (11 rules). Then I deal with some principles in designing the research (20 rules). It is not enough to conduct excellent research. Authors must sell their work by writing in a convincing and compelling manner. The quality of the writing is more than half the battle in successful publishing. Section 3 therefore has the largest number of rules (39 rules). Section 4 covers conferencing research (six rules), as a precursor to getting research published (Section 5, 17 rules). The challenging issue of co-authoring is covered in Section 6 (six rules). The rules conclude with some repetition, the most important rule of all (one rule) ( Table I ).

It is not enough to read and know these rules. They must be applied in practice, which is a lifelong learning process. As Kavanagh and Scally (2018 , pp. 8-9) observe, “games are epistemologically beyond the compass of lists and definitions and can only be properly known through playing. Games are phenomenological practices as they emotionally engage players, giving them a meaningful experience and opportunity to express themselves”. A checklist ( Appendix ) helps the authors self-assess their own work for application of the rules. Make sure you can answer “yes” to (almost) all the rules (as appropriate) before you submit your manuscript for review.

This is a high-level introduction/summary. For each rule, there are swathes of additional resources available to obtain greater depth of understanding of each rule.

My list of 100 rules is not exhaustive. For example, research integrity is critical, but is only touched on in these rules. These rules do not guarantee success in the world of academic international peer-review publishing. If properly used, they should ensure the research meets some basic requirements for top-quality publishing.

Bamber (2016) , ter Bogt (2014) , Buckby (2013) , Cortese (2009) , L’Huillier (2012, 2014) and Parker (2012, 2015) are amusing takes on the rules of the game in academic life.

I have written this paper in the hope that some or all of it may prove to be a game changer for readers.

100 research rules of the game

Notes: a I have adapted this phrase, thanks to Gardiner and Kearns (2011) ; b I thank Yiannis Gabriel for this rule; c I thank Steve Evans for this rule; d I thank Elizabeth Morton for this rule; e I thank Gus de Franco for this phrase

I use the phrase “rules of the game” tongue-in-cheek, capturing theoretical physicist Edward Teller’s sentiment that (pure) research “is a game, is play, led by curiosity, by taste, style, judgment, intangibles” (cited in Reagan, 1967 , p. 1383). Kalfa et al . (2018) have a darker take on playing the game in academia.

Further resources complementing this paper are available at: www.niamhbrennan.ie and @100RulesoftheGame

Appendix. Self-assessment checklist

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Acknowledgements

Publisher’s note: The Publisher would like to acknowledge the amendment to the copyright license for the article “100 research rules of the game: How to make your research world class; how to successfully publish in top international refereed journals” by Niamh Brennan published in the Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal .

Corresponding author

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• Graduate School
• Current Students
• Professional Development

The Graduate Game Plan

What is the purpose of the Graduate Game Plan?  And why should you read it?

The Graduate Game Plan guides students through the key stages of their graduate education and provides advice for navigating your graduate program.

UBC and your department/program will provide guidance throughout all stages of your study.  However, a key to success in graduate education lies in your ability and willingness to be proactive – to take responsibility for your own graduate school experiences. This guide will help you build a plan for navigating your program and we recommend revisiting and reviewing these pages at each stage of your graduate program.

Who should read it?

All graduate students at UBC, both newly admitted and ongoing.

When should you read the plan?

Reviewing the entire contents of the Graduate Game Plan before you begin your graduate study at UBC can help you build a rough timeline for your graduate program.  This will give you a broad overview of things you may need to consider at each stage of your program.  If you are feeling overwhelmed, which is normal, remember to focus on details for the stage of graduate program you are currently in.  Plans and timelines change, and you can revisit other sections later in your program.

Not certain where to start?

Check out the Designing your Academic Plan workshop or contact [email protected] to get help on navigating your graduate journey.

What are the stages and steps in the Graduate Game Plan?

The plan is divided into 4 stages that reflect the graduate student journey, and each stage has 3 steps:

Getting Started

Before you come, have you recently been accepted for graduate study at ubc congratulations.

Successful graduate students begin planning and collecting information before they arrive at UBC.  You should make an effort to accomplish the following before you arrive:

Each graduate program maintains a website that provides an overview of the graduate degree programs and timelines. When visiting your program's website, you should acquaint yourself with all available information pertaining to graduate students and graduate studies, including (if available) the latest online edition of the department's graduate student handbook. A comprehensive index to all graduate programs at UBC is available.

It's a good idea to communicate with your advisor or supervisor during the months before you start. If you are entering a thesis-based program, or are considering writing a thesis, make an effort to correspond with or even visit your supervisor at least a few weeks before your first term of enrollment on campus. 

Your advisor can assist you in understanding what is crucial for successful integration into your academic program during your first year of study.  If in a research-based program, there may be safety or other online courses you can complete before your arrival (i.e. biosafety, ethics training).  Your supervisor may also be able to suggest important publications in your area of scholarly interest with which you should become acquainted. You can start reading these key articles before you come to campus. 

If you have been awarded an appointment as a teaching or research assistant for your first term on campus, you should also inquire about any initial requirements or training opportunities.

Find out ahead of time when your supervisor will want to set up an initial meeting with you.  Details on topics to discuss are elaborated in the next section under 'Meet early with your graduate supervisor"

It is in your interest to limit the long-term cost of your graduate education as much as possible. Getting a scholarship and understanding the full range of available funding options for your graduate program is important.  Funding opportunities will differ depending on whether you are in a course-based or research-based graduate program. 

Scholarship application deadlines at UBC are often early in the fall semester.  Having a scholarship early in your program can be helpful for various reasons:

• It can provide money so that you can choose work opportunities that may best meet your goals.
• It is a mark of research excellence that can help to position you for future opportunities.
• It can have significant positive impact on your graduate degree progression and help you to complete in a timely manner.

You are more likely to be successful at winning a scholarship if you develop a careful strategy for scholarship application before you arrive on campus. Here are some things you should do as soon as you are accepted into your graduate program:

• Discuss scholarship matters with your research supervisor. During your first telephone or e-mail contact with your advisor or research supervisor, you should raise questions about procedures and deadlines for scholarship and fellowship applications in your program. Be sure to find out about all awards for which graduate students in your program are eligible.
• Thoroughly review the UBC Grad Studies Scholarships, Awards, and Funding webpage. The website gives details about the range of financial assistance available for graduate students including academic merit-based and need-based funds.
• Learn about how to write an award-winning scholarship at UBC.  Here are some tips and best practices as well as annotated applications .

pRe-Arrival Orientation

Before arriving at UBC, you can connect with other incoming graduate students, find accommodation, learn information specific to international students, and more by joining community.grad.ubc.ca .  Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies also hosts a series of pre-arrival webinars each February to September and December to share information on UBC housing, Living in Vancouver, Budgeting, and advice for incoming international students and students with families.  Upcoming pre-arrival webinars are posted on the orientation events page and past recordings are available under "Preparing for Arrival" on the resources page .

Campus-wide Graduate Student Orientation

All new graduate students at UBC are welcome and strongly encouraged to attend GradStart, the campus-wide new graduate student orientation sessions, offered by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, International Student Development, and the Graduate Student Society.  Most sessions occur prior to the start, or in the first weeks, of the fall and winter semesters.  View complete details of the New Grad Student Orientation .

Program Graduate Student Orientation

Most graduate programs hold orientation activities for new students. You should receive information about your program's orientation schedule well before you arrive on campus. Make plans to attend all orientation activities offered by your program to new graduate students.

What do YOU want to get out of your graduate program?

Proactive goal setting begins with self-awareness. You will get more from your graduate program if you understand your interests, your values, what motivates you, and the skills you enjoy using the most. Reflecting on these can help identify some immediate and long-term aspirations, and what you would like to gain during your graduate studies.

Planning may include thinking about potential post-graduation career options. It's common when embarking upon a program of graduate study to have a number of questions about career options. As you begin your studies, you will meet other students in your program who have questions similar to yours. Build networks with your student colleagues to collect information about career paths available to graduates from your program.  You may also want to discuss options with your supervisor and other faculty. 

There are many career supports available to help increase your career self-awareness.  You can also attend career-related workshops through your department and faculty, the Graduate Pathways to Success  program in Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, or the UBC Career Centre .  You can learn more about UBC career-related events, services, and resources for graduate students here and here .

When You Arrive

Your first term in graduate school.

Strategies for getting off to a great start in your first year as a graduate student at UBC include the following:

The proactive graduate student takes time to locate the offices, buildings, departments and people who will be most vital to their future success. Take time to walk around campus.

Familiarize yourself with the following resources for graduate students:

• The Graduate Student Society (GSS ), including the AMS/GSS Health & Dental plan
• International Student Development
• UBC Libraries

You can use the campus map website Wayfinding at UBC to assist you, if you want to find the appropriate offices.

View the Graduate Student Orientation website for complete event details including information specific to International Graduate Student Orientation as well as information on campus resources, career and professional development support, community building, and more to help you thrive at UBC.

Departmental Graduate Program Student Orientation

Most graduate programs hold their own student orientation activities. If your program is holding an orientation session, attend all related activities.

You may first hear about UBC graduate student policies and procedures when you attend your program and campus-wide orientation sessions. There are many details that you will need to understand as you begin your formal graduate study.

Program Graduate Policies and Requirements

For specific program policies, procedures, regulations and deadlines, be sure to carefully review your program's latest graduate student handbook. You should also consult with your department's graduate program manager/coordinator to be sure that you have the most up-to-date resources or guide to graduate student policies.

Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Policies and Procedures

The G+PS web site contains a wealth of valuable information and guidelines to help new graduate students. All new students should visit the following web sites:

• New Student Welcome and Advice for New Arrivals
• G+PS Policies and Procedures Index for Current Students

One of the most important keys to success in graduate school is establishing a positive working relationship with your research supervisor. Your supervisor can lend advice and provide wisdom regarding many aspects of your graduate program. Collaborating closely with your supervisor can help to learn about essential rules and procedures for growing as a researcher and scholar in your discipline.

Still Waiting to Choose a Supervisor? In some programs, graduate students have the opportunity to select a research supervisor after they have arrived. If you are in such a program, be sure to familiarize yourself with the procedures and deadlines for selecting an appropriate research supervisor when you first come to campus and during your program's orientation for new graduate students.

Working Effectively with your Supervisor

It is important to set up a time to talk with your supervisor during the first week that you arrive on campus. There are a number of important topics that you will need to discuss and the Graduate Student / Supervisor Expectations document can help.

Here are some of the topics to review during your first meeting with your supervisor:

Frequency of Meetings

How often will you meet with your supervisor and where will your meetings be held?

Procedures for Initiating Meetings

Who should normally initiate the contact between you and your supervisor, and what is the preferred method of contact for doing so?  For the meeting, who will prepare the agenda and follow up with meeting notes and action items.

Supervisor's Expectations

What are your supervisor's work expectations of you? This can include any of the following topics:

• Work location. Where are you are expected to conduct your work? Are you expected to be on campus or do you also have an option to work at other locations such as your home?
• Timeline. What is the typical timeline for moving through the graduate program? When are proposals and thesis/dissertation documents expected to be completed?
• Work hours or schedule. How many hours are students expected to devote to research each week and over the year?
• Procedures for holidays and leaves. What is the procedure in your department for notification about illness or requests for leave? What are your supervisor's expectations around holidays?
• Communication with your supervisor. Does your supervisor want to know your schedule during the semester? How can your supervisor best get in touch with you during the week and when you are away?

Your Program Funding Plans and Scholarship Deadlines

How will your graduate work be funded over the course of your program? This information is important to learn at the beginning of your program of graduate study at UBC because you need to find out immediately what are the department's deadlines and procedures for applying for:

• Scholarships
• Research Assistantships
• Teaching Assistantships

Your Expectations and Professional Career Goals

It is a good idea for you to discuss your own career aspirations and your expectations regarding career outcomes. Here are some topics to consider:

• The kind of career you hope to pursue. You may have multiple interests, and this is a good time to indicate to your supervisor that you are interested in more than one career option.
• Your supervisor's advice and information about career opportunities for graduates from your program.
• Where you can locate information about job outcomes of recent graduates from your program.  (You can also search the UBC PhD Outcomes site)

The Publication, Presentation and Authorship Practices and Protocols in Your Program

• What is the standard practice in your program for graduate students who wish to publish or present their research in scholarly journals or academic conferences?
• Is there a particular citation management tool your research group uses (see the Research Commons for guides and workshops on citation management tools)
• What are the general practices regarding primary and secondary authorship with your supervisor?
• Are there any issues associated with intellectual property in your program that you should be aware of?

The Plan to form your Supervisory Committee

Discuss plans for forming your supervisory committee during your first year of study. The committee can play an important role in recommending courses and helping you to plan your research.

Additional resources for effectively working with your graduate supervisor and committee include:

UBC Handbook of Graduate Supervision Handbook of Graduate Supervision: The Working Relationship Handbook of Graduate Supervision: The Supervisory Committee

The Supervisor Relationship Checklist

Have you discussed the following:

• Meeting times and arrangements
• Supervisor's expectations as for work location, hours, communication, holidays, and thesis/dissertation work
• Funding opportunities and deadlines
• Your career goals and objectives
• Publication, presentation, and authorship practices
• Forming your supervisory committee

Be sure to find out about all awards for which graduate students in your program may be eligible.

Discuss Scholarship Matters with Your Graduate Advisor. During your first interaction with your graduate advisor or research supervisor, you should raise questions about the procedures and deadlines for scholarship and graduate fellowship applications in your program.

You may also want to connect with senior graduate students in your department for their advice on scholarships to apply for.

For advice about developing an effective scholarship application, seek advice from your advisor or supervisor, your peers, or the website of the scholarship you are applying to.

Thoroughly Review the UBC Grad Studies Scholarships, Awards & Funding website. The website gives details about the range of financial assistance available for graduate students including academic merit-based and need-based funds.

Identify Your Career Goals

As you pursue your first year of graduate study, keep in mind that you have entered a major stage of professional career development. Your graduate education will provide you with a range of knowledge, skills and abilities that will broaden your employment opportunities.

A major objective for every graduate student should be to become aware of the range of employment and professional opportunities that exist for individuals receiving a graduate degree. Think of your graduate education as a career step, not just a learning experience.

Just as you have an academic plan for completing your graduate degree, you need to develop a career plan that states your major professional goals, objectives, timelines for moving from step to step, and strategies for attaining success.

Take charge of your education and your career objectives! Don't count on others to provide career options. Develop an individual career plan to provide you with a flexible blueprint of your short and long-term professional, intellectual, and personal aspirations. These online tools may help:

http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/50516.html (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)

** http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/ (STEM fields)

** https://www.imaginephd.com (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Once you have an individual carer plan, bookmark your calendar to revisit every six months to a year.  Your objectives may shift as your scholarly interests evolve.  Talking with peers or your graduate supervisor or a career advisor could also help you develop action steps from your plan.

**These websites are not hosted in Canada, and your personal information may be stored or accessed outside of Canada.

A good way to learn about career options is to find out about career outcomes for graduates from programs similar to yours. Ask your research supervisor or other program faculty and check out:

• Alumni profiles at https://www.grad.ubc.ca/campus-community/alumni
• UBC PhD outcomes http://outcomes.grad.ubc.ca/
• Academic professional societies in your area (they often feature types of career opportunities available for graduates)

Your peers may have similar questions about job opportunities. Talk to them about their plans. Determine whether your ultimate goal in graduate study is to develop specialized skills for a single career path, or to develop a broad skill set that can qualify you for any number of career paths.

Be open to possibilities! Graduate programs cultivate a wealth of skills and individuals who hold graduate degrees are increasingly seeking work in a wide range of fields. If you are having difficulty finding information about a career path, or are struggling to identify potential career options, consider using resources from the UBC Career Centre .

Pay attention to where others from your program are going. Talk to colleagues who are making choices that intrigue you, even if those choices appear to be divergent from your own career goals.

Ask your program's graduate advisor if there are any statistical or descriptive reports on the employment status of recent graduates.

If your program has presentations or workshops on job market trends or career development strategies for graduate students, attend and ask questions.  If there is a particular topic or sector you would be interested in learning from, see if you can help organize a session for others in your department.

The Internet can be an essential tool for extending your research into career planning, self assessment, labour market trends, job search, and various occupations. As you begin to identify some career fields that interest you, think about how you could gain further information about what it is like to do that job. Check whether your department, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the UBC Career Centre, or local professional organizations will be hosting networking events, alumni panels, or employer information sessions.

You can also create your own connections through LinkedIn or by contacting professionals for informational interviews. Informational interviews are short, informal conversations wherein you learn about a particular type of career or job by asking questions about the experiences of someone who works or has worked in that field.

For more information or to book a career advising appointment, check out the career resources for graduate students.

It’s natural and normal for your goals and interests to shift over the course of graduate studies. As you progress through your program, you will come to a deeper understanding of your skills and interests. Prioritize periodically setting time aside to reflect on and re-evaluate your plans and goals. It is generally helpful to include your supervisor and your committee in these conversations to keep them up-to-date about your career aspirations. They may be able to help with ideas or professional connections.

Especially when a degree spans many years, changes in the world around you may influence your career goals. If you are interested in a particular field, make a point of keeping current on news, technologies, and trends in that field. This will help to make sure that your goals are grounded in reality. If this field has a professional association, you could consider joining and attending local events to build professional contacts in the field. 

And remember, life happens while you are in grad school.  Changes to your personal situation and priorities may also change and influence your career goals.  Periodically revisiting your career goals can help ensure they continue to align and complement your life goals.

View the Career Resources for Graduate Students for more information.

Aim For Success

To be successful in completing a graduate degree, students need to develop a number of essential skills. Here are some basic guidelines to assist you as you create a personal plan for graduate school success.

Think about what you really want from graduate school, and identify opportunities to attain those goals.

Continue the mental transition from being told what to do, to deciding what to do.

Don't wait for faculty members to come to find you – take the initiative to build relationships, both within your program and department and within the broader university and academic communities.

Schedule regular meetings with your entire supervisory committee – at least once a year. For guidance on committee selection and policies on who can be a committee member review the committee section of the Handbook of Graduate Supervision.

Recognize the opportunities provided by your full committee for obtaining valuable feedback on your evolving research.

Have a clear purpose for each meeting, and communicate the agenda in advance to your supervisor/committee.

Follow up on items discussed in meetings – keep your supervisor informed of your progress and challenges.

Act as a "junior colleague" – ask questions, advance ideas, show interest and support for shared goals.

You may wish to review information on supervision and advising or use the expectations document here

Track your specific program requirements (e.g., courses taken, comprehensives, research, thesis, etc.)

Schedule periodic meetings with your supervisor and committee.

Take personal and professional development courses, as appropriate, to help you achieve your scholarly and career goals.

These articles may help:

• A step-by-step guide to keeping track of grad school activities
• Begin - and continue - your thesis with the end in mind

Degree requirements vary depending on your program and department. Please check with your department/program directly for a better understanding of your program's timeline. In general ...

Masters students

Your program may require any or all of the following:

• Comprehensive or qualifying exams
• A research thesis or major project
• A practicum or internship
• Public presentation and/or defense of thesis or project

UBC policy states that master's students must complete all degree requirements within 5 years of enrolment (not counting leaves of absence).  Extensions may be granted by G+PS if fully justified by the supervisor and program.

Doctoral Students

Your program may require that you do coursework and an internship.

Doctoral programs will require that you:

• Develop and gain approval for a research proposal
• Pass a comprehensive exam
• Complete a research dissertation
• Defend the thesis at a Doctoral Oral Examination

UBC policy states that doctoral students

• Should advance to candidacy within 2 years, and must within 3 years
• Should complete all degree requirements within 5 years of enrolment and must within 6 years (not counting leaves of absence). Extensions may be granted by G+PS if fully justified by the supervisor and program.

View the Policies and Procedures page for more information.

Use graduate course assignments as an opportunity to develop and present your evolving research, and get feedback from others.

Ask your supervisor about opportunities for giving public presentations about your research. For example, find out if your program holds colloquia/weekly seminars or journal clubs for faculty and graduate students to present their research. Attend and learn about the procedures for giving presentations. You could start practicing by presenting to your own research group.

Attend or present in University-wide programs, such as Toastmasters clubs or Three Minute Thesis . There are numerous opportunities to present to public audiences beyond the University (i.e Science Slam, Cafe Scientifique, Nerd Nite, SSHRC Storytellers, etc).

Attend job talks by applicants for faculty positions. Observe what makes for good or bad presentations.

In every discipline, there are professional societies which faculty and graduate students can join. It is important to your professional development to attend meetings of those associations to learn about contemporary issues in the field and meet others with similar interests.

Identify the major associations in your discipline, locate their websites, and determine whether you can join the association as a graduate student member. Often, graduate students can join associations at reduced cost if they provide evidence of current full-time enrollment in a graduate program.

Graduate student membership in scholarly associations carries many benefits. Typically, your membership will entitle you to receive the association's official newsletter, one or more journals that it publishes, and other resources that may assist you in developing ideas around your own research. You can also learn how graduate students may become more active within the association.

Learn whether there are official divisions, subdivisions, or special interest groups in your favourite scholarly association. In this way, you may be able to identify and further explore your area of academic research focus or specialty.

Investigate whether the association offers competitions for graduate students to win fellowships, travel grants, or other awards. Pay close attention to submission guidelines and deadlines for all award opportunities. Some associations also offer recognition for outstanding theses or dissertations or awards to travel to conferences. Winning these awards helps to build your CV and resume.

Establish long term relationships with researchers and scholars who share your interests, inside and outside your academic department. These relationships can contribute to successful entry into an academic and/or professional community and ultimately, help you to build your professional career.

Many of the larger academic professional associations maintain graduate student advisory committees. Involvement in graduate student committees will provide you with opportunities to build a professional network, develop your leadership skills, represent your student colleagues, advocate for the profession on a national level, and invest in your future.

Examine strategic methods for networking online with scholars from around the world.

Seek input and collaboration from faculty members and your peers – don't isolate yourself.

Recognize that some of the graduate students in your program who are further along may have experience and insights in situations you may be encountering.

Begin thinking of yourself as a member of your profession and academic field.

Be aware of other research in your lab/group and department. If possible, actively participate. Attend optional seminars and lectures beyond your program or department.

Seek out ways to participate in your department such as volunteering to join department committees that call for graduate representation.

 All UBC researchers are required to:

• Give proper recognition to those who have made intellectual contributions to the content of their publication; refrain from representing others' academic work as one's own (this is plagiarism)
• Comply with regulations governing research involving humans (including review and approval by a Research Ethics Board )
• Conform to UBC requirements for working with animals , biohazards and radioisotopes, and the environment
• Use scholarly and scientific rigor in obtaining, recording, and analyzing data, and in reporting results

Learn more about academic honesty and scholarly integrity.  Be proactive by taking a Responsible Conduct of Research online course and visit UBC's Scholarly Integrity site to learn more and complete the Canvas module .

Learn more about UBC's policies and procedures related to academic integrity and find resources and educational material available to support your learning and work.  The Intro to Academic Integrity course is also recommended.

Aim for mastery of skills in organization, preparedness, collegiality.

Take workshops through Graduate Pathways to Success or the various UBC centres offering programming.  View the calendar of upcoming sessions and resources .

Remember that you have friends and family outside of grad school who can be important for building your support system.  It is also important to build time in your schedule to connect with peers inside and outside of your program, take a walk, read a book, and rejuvenate.  The forums on community.grad.ubc.ca can be a great way to connect with others with similar interests.

Seek out the many resources at UBC that can help you through the tough times.  The student wellness centre provides resources to help with eating and sleeping well, stress & anxiety, depression, and more.

Remember that this will be among the most inspiring and satisfying times in your life.

Start Your Thesis or Dissertation Plan

It is never too early to begin developing your ideas about your thesis or dissertation topic.

In some programs, the research supervisor will assign your general research topic, although you may have some opportunity to choose specific projects within the topic area. Other programs expect students to determine their own research topic in consultation with the research supervisor and supervisory committee.

The graduate thesis or dissertation is shaped by the procedures, requirements and timelines of the student's individual program, however, here are some general principles you can follow.

Determine early in your program the appropriate process and timelines for research topic assignment or selection.

Discuss your research objectives with your research supervisor and other faculty within your program or on your committee.

Use each course or lab assignment as an opportunity to examine various facets of research and inquiry in your field of study.

If your program expects students to choose their own research topics, be sure to select a topic that is both interesting to you and realistic in terms of the amount of time and resources it will require for completion.

Record your research ideas in a diary or other reference source when you think of them.  This can be one way to start writing regularly.

Become familiar with the important research issues and topics in, and vocabulary of, your discipline as evidenced by review of recent publications in the major journals in your field.

You may want to discuss with your supervisor and peers citation management and research data management tools to use to help manage your research project from the start.

Carefully review any research that has been recently published by your research supervisor or others from your department.

Your research supervisor and supervisory committee members will be major sources of support and guidance for you as you pursue your graduate research. Plan to consult regularly with them in order to answer key questions about your topic, methodology, data collection, proposal development, and other facets of your evolving thesis or dissertation.

Keep in mind that as you continue to develop your research, you will begin to develop a mastery of subject matter in your area of specialization. Your supervisor will not always be able to answer every question that you have about your topic, but should be able to guide you in a proper direction as you write your proposal.

A valuable source of guidance is recently completed theses or dissertations produced by students who have completed your program. Ask your research supervisor to recommend particular theses and dissertations from students they have supervised. Learn from those who have gone before you.

Develop networks with graduate students in your program who are nearing completion of their graduate degrees, and seek their permission to attend their final thesis or dissertation defense presentations in order to learn more about the process.  Staying connected with these graduate students can also help you to learn the career paths of program alumni and build your professional network.

Although the actual timeline for completion of your graduate thesis or dissertation will be shaped, in part, by your progress and your program's formal requirements, you should begin to think about the process and content of your thesis or dissertation as early as possible.

After determining the topic for your research, there will be a number of stages of subsequent work to:

(a) prepare your proposal;

(b) conduct your research;

(c) write the thesis/dissertation document;

(d) share the research outcomes with others; and

(e) revise the thesis/dissertation.

Try to estimate the amount of time and resources you will need to move through each stage. Keep your proposed timeline sufficiently flexible in order to allow for uncertainties that may influence your progress toward completion.  Break these down into smaller, attainable goals and use these to create term-long and weekly schedules. Need assistance?  Contact Graduate Pathways to Success for guidance in building your grad game plan strategy.

Thoroughly review the G+PS guidelines for preparing, formatting and submitting your approved master's thesis or doctoral dissertation . 

A literature review should serve as a major summary of scholarly and scientific publications on your research topic.  Start early to organize and catalogue your publications using a citation management tool.  Speak with your supervisor or visit the Library Research Commons for guidance on selecting the appropriate tool for your thesis.

Subject Librarians are also available to help get you started on your literature review.  The Centre for Scholarly Writing and Communication also offers relevant workshops.

The literature review should enable you to demonstrate mastery of skills in two areas: information selection and critical review/appraisal of available literature. A good literature review synthesizes the results of your reading of the literature and critical appraisal into a summary of what is and is not yet known about a topic.

Through a careful literature review, you should ultimately be able to generate new questions or issues that merit further research, thus justifying the focus of your thesis or dissertation study.

Become thoroughly familiar with the formal procedures and requirements in your program for making timely progress toward development and completion of your thesis or dissertation. Be sure that you understand the standard formats for development and presentation of a thesis or dissertation in your program.

Carefully review the latest edition of your program's graduate student handbook, identifying all deadlines, names and locations of program personnel who are involved in getting the thesis or dissertation approved.

For a more complete overview of strategies for developing your thesis or dissertation, view the section on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website that talks about Thesis Preparation .

Prepare for Ethical Review

Developing an ethical code of conduct is an essential aspect of becoming an academic and researcher. One part of that ethical conduct is to carry out your research in a socially responsible way. Further, any UBC research that involves animals, human participants and data, and bio-hazardous materials must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate Committee or Research Ethics Board (REB) before you begin any data collection.

• Does your research involve animals, fish, or invertebrates? If yes, familiarize yourself with the relevant UBC policies regarding ethics approval and training at the UBC Animal Care and Use Program website . All personnel involved in animal work are required to take the animal care on-line training course offered by the Canadian Council on Animal Care. The Animal Care and Use Program also offers hands-on courses on a number of procedures.
• Does your research involve bacteria, viruses, plasmids, recombinant DNA, animal tissues, radioactive materials, or other biohazards? If yes, see UBC Biosafety Committee .
• Does your research involve human participants, human tissue, human stem cells or data collected from human participants? If yes, check out the UBC Research Ethics Boards .

For research involving humans, researchers should be familiar with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research involving Humans (TCPS_2 2018) and are required to complete the online CORE tutorial before starting research.

Go to the Office of Research Ethics website to learn about the entire range of research activities involving humans that require ethics approval. The website provides extensive guidance (and links to training ) that will help you develop your research and prepare your ethics applications.

Your research supervisor will orient you to the ethical issues and practices within your field of study. This may include pointing out codes of ethical conduct that guide the professional associations in your field, as well as standards for ethical behaviour among researchers in your department. If your supervisor doesn't volunteer this information, take the initiative to ask about it.

If your graduate program includes specific courses focusing on research methods, you should also receive an introduction to the formal procedures for obtaining REB approval.

Ask your supervisor to explain to you the standard procedures in your department for obtaining ethical approval for animal, human, or biosafety research.

Much of the mystery of obtaining REB approval will be reduced if you have an opportunity to review a few recent REB applications.  Please keep in mind that ethics standards are not fixed and that requirements evolve over time.

Ask your research supervisor for permission to review recent applications that have been submitted by them or their students, and ask for suggestions about how to develop a successful application for your own research. Find out how long the review/approval process has typically taken for other graduate students in your department.

UBC Research Ethics Committees and Boards meet regularly.through the academic year. If your research requires full board review, please be informed about the submission dates for the committee or REB you are submitting to. Please note that there is no firm timeline for the length of time from initial receipt of an application to final approval by a review board.

You should allow 5 to 6 weeks for review and approval and note that incomplete or sub-standard applications will take longer to process.

When you are ready to develop your REB application, you must consult with your research supervisor for advice and guidance. Your faculty supervisor will be listed on the ethics application as Principal Investigator (PI). You will be listed as a co-investigator. Faculty advisors are ultimately accountable for the ethics of research conducted by their graduate students.

Your supervisor will offer advice on the proper procedures for completing and submitting the resarch ethics application and providing appropriate attachments. Even so, you need to be able to provide clarifying information about the scope, purpose and objectives of your specific research study. Work collaboratively with your supervisor to ensure that your application accurately reflects your research methods and ultimate research goals.

In some cases, a graduate student's research may qualify for a “minimal risk ethics review”, so it is wise to discuss research risk and participant vulnerability with your research supervisor.

After you have submitted your ethics application, you should stay in close contact with your research supervisor in case changes are required. Discuss all changes with your supervisor.

Note: Changes to research protocols and procedures as well as to documents used in your research require review and approval by the REB.  Ensure you have built the revision stage and future amendments (e.g. after piloting a protocol) into your project timeline.

Also: Be sure that your application is approved BEFORE you begin recruitment and data collection.

Mid-Program

Review your progress.

Whether you are in a master's or a doctoral program, you need to take time to evaluate your progress when you reach the middle of your program. Most master's programs are two years. Therefore, this evaluation should occur after completing your first year of study. If you are in a one-year master's program, review your progress after the first term. If you are a doctoral student, review your progress at the end of the second year of doctoral studies and continue to review this regularly, at least annually.

Consult with your supervisor about your rate of progress. Are you on schedule? If not, come up with a plan to make up time.

Master's Degree Students

Check to ensure that you will be able to complete all required courses within the timeline determined by your program.

For research-based masters, ensure your supervisor has approved courses taken to fulfill specific program requirements.

If a comprehensive examination is required for a master's degree in your program, obtain information in advance from your research supervisor (for more information see Comprehensives for Master's Degrees )

Examine the latest online edition of UBC's Calendar to review the academic regulations governing graduate study.

Each student's progress should be reviewed regularly, and at least once per year in June by the home department and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. If you have not received a feedback letter from your department, talk with your supervisor or graduate advisor.

For master's students who hope to continue into the doctoral program, ask your supervisor about your department's deadlines for application.

All master's students who are in a two-year thesis program should have formed a thesis committee by the end of the first year.

Typically, the committee will contain at least three faculty members from the student's department, including the primary research supervisor.

Review G+PS Guidelines on Supervisory Committees .

Many graduate programs require students to develop a formal thesis proposal and have it approved by the supervisory committee. Check to see if your program has this requirement. If so, follow the steps below.

• Begin writing drafts of your thesis proposal as soon as possible.
• Circulate drafts of the proposal to your supervisor for feedback.
• Present the completed proposal to your supervisory committee for feedback on the research plan.

In many programs, you are required to schedule a formal committee meeting to review and accept the thesis proposal. Check with your supervisor to see if this applies to you. Even if a formal meeting is not required, it is a good idea to meet with your committee to make sure that they support the proposed plan before you begin the work. Use your committee to help strengthen your research.

Typically, the thesis is completed within the second year of enrollment.

Begin conducting your research as soon as possible. The earlier, the better.

Maintain regular contact with your research supervisor to review your progress and get feedback on issues that arise.

Determine the date for the master's thesis defense.

For support creating a comprehensive and detailed progress plan, please reach out to Graduate Pathways to Success for resources or attend a "Designing your Grad School Strategy" workshop.

Take note of all deadlines required in the program for completion and defense of the thesis. If any circumstance jeopardizes your ability to complete your thesis on schedule, talk with your supervisor as soon as possible and make arrangements.

Familiarize yourself with procedures and deadlines for thesis completion and submission to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies through these sources:

• Thesis Submission
• Deadline Centre

Use this checklist to review your master's degree progress. 

Confirm that you have arranged to complete all required courses in your program.

Be sure that your research supervisor has approved courses you have taken to fulfill specific program requirements.

Examine the latest online edition of UBC's Calendar   to review the academic regulations governing graduate study.

Consult with your research supervisor about proper procedures for forming the dissertation committee. The committee should have at least three faculty members (including the supervisor).

Select committee members who are:

• interested and knowledgeable about your dissertation topic
• in agreement with your research plan and procedures
• available for consultation during your intended period of research.

Review G+PS guidelines regarding Supervisory Committees .

Meet regularly with your research supervisor to discuss your research ideas and progress.

Begin writing your dissertation proposal as soon as possible.

Set a timeline for conducting and completing your dissertation work. For support creating a comprehensive and detailed progress plan, please reach out to Graduate Pathways to Success for resources or attend a "Designing your Grad School Strategy" workshop.

Make sure that you have mastered all the technical skills necessary to conduct the work.

Circulate the final dissertation proposal to your research supervisor and your supervisory committee for approval before you begin the work.

Some programs require a formal meeting of the advisory committee to approve the dissertation proposal. If so, be proactive in arranging the meeting.

If possible, attend other student dissertation defenses to observe what happens.

Provide regular feedback to your supervisor and committee about your research progress.

Familiarize yourself with procedures and deadlines for dissertation completion and submission to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies through these sources:

• Final Dissertation and Thesis Submission

Comprehensive examinations are normally held after completion of all required course work and are intended to test the student's grasp of the chosen field of study.

They are typically taken at the end of the first year of doctoral enrollment and should be completed by the end of the second year.

Consult your research supervisor and departmental graduate student handbook for details regarding procedures and timelines for completing all required comprehensive examinations.

See also the G+PS guidelines around Comprehensive Examinations .

Doctoral students are normally expected to be admitted to candidacy by the end of their second year of doctoral studies but no later than the end of the third year. To advance to candidacy, you must have:

• completed all required coursework
• passed your comprehensive exams
• have a research proposal approved by your committee.

Use this checklist  to review your doctoral progress.

If you are experiencing barriers or challenges to progressing in your program, please refer to the Overcoming Barriers section below for guidance.

Overcome Barriers to Completion

There are many different challenges that you may encounter as you continue through your graduate program, including a number of barriers to your progress. Consider whether you need to address any of the issues below.

Barriers or Challenges to Degree Completion

You may find that you will stall out at some point when working on your degree. You may feel as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel, or encounter disappointments or unexpected setbacks. It is important to know that this is a common part of the process!

It helps to put the entire project into a broader perspective. Completing a lengthy thesis or dissertation requires stamina, determination, shrewd negotiating skills, and a willingness to stretch your own intellectual and emotional capabilities.

Tell your research supervisor about your concerns about progress. They will not be surprised or disappointed to learn that you have lost momentum. Faculty will have seen the same thing in other students.

• If you are still at the proposal-writing stage, determine with your research supervisor the precise steps you need to take to prepare the final proposal for formal presentation to your supervisory committee.
• Determine a clear deadline for submitting your proposal, and stick to it.
• Arrange to meet regularly with your supervisor. Having to report on your progress will motivate you.
• Take advantage of any program supports (e.g., workshops) on writing your thesis or dissertation.

Examine your time-management skills. Where are you wasting time? Work with a carefully-designed plan for developing and completing your thesis or dissertation, creating a well-organized listing or even a project flow chart of essential tasks that you must carry out on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Carefully prioritize your tasks by asking yourself, “What is the most important thing I can do right now?” Use your answer to plan your time and get back on track.

View the information on Final Thesis or Dissertation Submission on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

Need extra support for time management, how to submit and format your thesis, or overcoming perfectionism?    Participate in graduate student workshops to check out the many online, on-demand resources available including the Dissertation Success Curriculum .

Your working relationship with your research supervisor and other members of your supervisory committee will undoubtedly influence your momentum and your performance. Periodically examine what is working well, and what needs improvement in your working relationships.

If there is tension in your relationship with your supervisor, the first step is for you to clearly identify for yourself what is going wrong. Here are some common sources of tension:

• Lack of supervisor availability. Your supervisor is not available for consultation.
• Micromanagement. You may feel that your supervisor is overly-directive.
• Lack of support. You may have a sense that your supervisor is unhappy with your performance or even critical.
• Divergent goals. You and your supervisor may have different goals for the research or want to emphasize or give priority to different aspects of the research program.

The next step is to talk with your supervisor. A good way to begin is to ask your supervisor for a candid appraisal of your performance and progress. Try not to be defensive, but rather get a clear idea how your supervisor sees your collaboration.

• You may find that what appears to be a lack of availability or support simply reflects work or personal pressures on your supervisor.
• If your supervisor has some concerns about your work, ask them to give you some details about the problem and some suggestions for how they can be corrected.
• Make some suggestions of your own about what might help you and the research project.
• Keep the discussion focused on finding solutions and not on rehashing past grievances.

Know the role boundaries and what is reasonable to expect from your supervisor. Maintaining appropriate role boundaries is essential for the well-being of both faculty and students. Students need to maintain professional relationships with faculty and develop appropriate support networks for personal issues.

If you and your supervisor can't agree on what steps are needed to get things on course, talk about various options for resolving the situation. This might involve a joint meeting with your program's graduate advisor.

For a detailed discussion of the steps available to you if the problems persist, read “The Working Relationship”   in the G+PS Handbook of Graduate Supervision.

Graduate students have a right to emerge from graduate school with good self-esteem. This requires careful and thoughtful management of professional relationships.

If you find you are procrastinating on major responsibilities, determine the reasons. Examine your personal work habits, patterns, behaviours, and feelings to see what steps you need to take to understand and reduce procrastination. Any of these factors may impede your progress:

• Fear of failure, which can result in a form of emotional paralysis or disabling anxiety.
• Self-doubt or endless second-guessing about everything that you think or write.
• Fear of success, which often arises from anxiety about what you will do when you have finished.
• Perfectionism, which can create an inability to either start or finish a major task. Perfectionists tend to be their own worst critics. Nothing is good enough. Constant self-criticism leads to paralysis and avoidance and will sabotage your progress.
• Exhaustion or illness related to ignoring your health.
• Preoccupation with other life problems such as relationships or finances.
• Feeling overwhelmed by the size of a required task, such as writing the entire thesis or dissertation or analyzing a large body of research data.

Procrastination is a mental road-block that you can learn to overcome. Procrastinators tell themselves, “I don't feel like doing it now... I'll wait until I'm in the mood.” Unfortunately, this doesn't work because waiting until you're in the mood may take a long time. Begin with action. Taking action reduces fear and has the effect of “priming the pump”. Once you begin something it will encourage you to do more. You then feel better about yourself which motivates you to continue.

Suggestions for getting started

• Forget about doing something perfectly, just get started.
• Seek out the information you need for making decisions.
• Ask your supervisor for help or direction with your project.
• Try to focus on one aspect at a time.
• Break your task down into a series of smaller steps and distribute these steps over a structured time frame. Taking the smallest step forward will give you satisfaction and increase your motivation.
• Begin with the tasks that you find the most interesting. Success there will motivate you to tackle less enjoyable aspects of the work.

When it comes to writing a thesis or dissertation, it pays to create a personal “writing strategy” that enables you to develop a daily work pattern and a reward system for writing every day.

• Recognize that effective writing involves time for reflection, mulling things over and sitting with your thoughts. This is a natural, creative process, not to be confused with procrastination.
• If you find you are having trouble beginning your writing, experiment with free writing – write about something unrelated to your academic pursuit – and notice your rhythm and spontaneity return.
• Try “talking” your dissertation, i.e., telling a friend or partner what you are trying to write. Expressing your ideas verbally will free up your writing.
• Try joining a writing community to help keep you motivated.  Reviewing the Dissertation Success Curriculum may help.

As you progress in your program, you will become aware of a widening array of career and professional options available to you. It's also possible that you will discover a desire to change your career direction or objectives.

If you are thinking about changing your area of graduate study or departing from graduate study altogether, it is important to consider the impact this may have on your overall career plans.

Be sure to consult with your graduate supervisor and other faculty if you have questions or concerns about the current direction of your graduate study. It's quite possible that they will be able to offer suggestions that can assist your decision making.  For overall career planning, you may also wish to seek the advice of a career advisor or check out the resources at the UBC Career Centre .

Be sure to distinguish between a genuine desire to go in a different direction and anxiety-related avoidance.

The costs associated with graduate study can be substantial. Some graduate students are forced to manage with inadequate funds. In some cases, debt loads are substantial enough to interfere with timely degree progress and/or completion.

You need to think seriously about the amount of debt, if any, that you are willing or able to accrue by the time you have finished your graduate study. Financial planning, like career planning, should be an ongoing practice, not something that you put off until you graduate!

As you continue in your graduate program, be sure that you have thoroughly reviewed all possible funding options through your program and UBC. Consult this G+PS website for Awards and Financial Aid .

Be careful not to fall into a “work trap” in your final years of graduate study. A work trap occurs when a graduate student feels compelled to accept employment for needed income but that work slows or even derails the student's progress completing degree requirements. This pattern can cost more money in the long run. Sometimes it is better to find a strategy such as borrowing money so that you can finish up and seek full-time employment with, potentially, higher pay.

If you encounter financial difficulties, be sure to consult with your research supervisor for advice on funding options and strategies.

Read the Tips for funding applications provided on this web site.

Health and Wellbeing

Graduate study is arduous work, and sometimes the sheer demands of graduate school coupled with other simultaneous pressures (financial, career, family, spouse/partner needs, etc.) can take a toll on physical and mental wellbeing.

Nobody has a greater interest in your wellbeing than you. Know what's good for your physical and emotional health, and take control. Determine the optimal workload and pace that will enable you to complete your work in a timely manner without burning out.

If you have not already done so, consider incorporating a strategy for personal wellbeing into your graduate studies progress and management plan.

It is common to experience periods of high stress, fatigue, exhaustion, and even feeling totally overwhelmed by how much you have to get done. What is important is that you manage these feelings effectively, and that you recognize when you may need to reach out for support from others.

Recognize when you're beginning to slow down, lose your interest or your momentum. Realize that peaks and valleys, lows and highs are integral parts of the process. Writing can be the loneliest part of the journey. Recognize when the isolation is wearing you down.  Consider joining or starting a peer writing community, checking out a writing workshop , attending a graduate student society event, or finding other ways for connecting with peers inside and outside of your program (for example, start a forum post on community.grad.ubc.ca or join a student club ).

Although a certain amount of stress can serve as a motivator, too much stress can immobilize you or seriously diminish your progress. Stress interferes with clear judgment and makes it difficult to take the time to make good decisions. It causes difficult situations to be seen as a threat, not a challenge. It damages the positive frame of mind you need for high quality work by promoting negative thinking and damaging self-confidence. It can generate excessive worry and anxiety, confusion and inability to concentrate, difficulty sleeping, impatience and irritability. Behavioural effects of excessive stress include bad moods, being forgetful, changing eating habits, and diminished attention spans.

If you have noticed increased stress during your graduate years, take steps to manage it more effectively. The following will help:

• Be sure to get regular exercise
• Get sufficient sleep
• Maintain hobbies and interests outside of work
• Take time for social activities

View UBC Health & Wellness Self-help: Stress-Management web resources for more information.

Burnout happens when you've been pushing too hard for too long.

The warning signs of burnout are:

• Loss of interest in or questioning the meaning of your studies and research
• Chronic fatigue - exhaustion, a sense of being physically run down and emotionally flat
• Anger at those making demands
• Cynicism, negativity, and irritability
• A sense of being besieged
• Feelings of helplessness

Just as with stress management, burnout prevention requires a number of personal strategies of self-care and, also, the support and assistance from others.

The best solution is to take time away from work to allow your emotional interest to regenerate, get perspective, and re-establish the balance in your life.

Life happens. During any stage of your graduate education, you could encounter a personal event that affects your momentum. Life events such as death or illness of a spouse or family member, divorce or loss of income, planning a wedding, having a child, can disrupt even the best efforts at stress management during graduate study.

Different life events have different impacts. In some cases, however, it may be possible to anticipate events and prepare for them. It may also be useful to recognize the impact of events that have occurred so that you can take account of them.

If you encounter a critical event in your life, talk to your graduate supervisor and graduate advisor about the options available to you.

• Don't simply withdraw and leave others to guess at what is going on.
• You may be able to take a leave from your graduate studies.
• You may also be able to negotiate the timeline for various requirements with your supervisor.
• Your research supervisor and graduate advisor may have encountered such situations before and be happy to help you make arrangements.

If you encounter a serious health matter that is affecting your performance in your graduate studies, pay attention to your health! Visit the UBC Student Health Service .

Make time for regular check-ups, inoculations, and other routine health care.

View UBC Health and Wellbeing for more information regarding many health-related issues and for self-help resources

Near Completion

Present and publish, expand your community.

Your career success in graduate school and beyond will be enhanced if you develop the skills necessary to communicate your scholarly ideas and research findings. Presentations will give your research a higher profile, help you build networks with scholars who share your interests, and increase the career options available to you.

Ask your research supervisor to help you develop your research ideas for presentation at scholarly or professional meetings.

Check professional association websites and talk with your supervisor about deadlines to submit proposals.

Learn what types of presentations are featured at various conferences. Identify conferences where attendees are likely to be interested in your work.

Aim to present your work at the very best national and international conferences. Presentations at prestigious conferences can advance your career. Furthermore, by attending those conferences, you will hear about current research being conducted by the top people in your field, and you may have the opportunity to meet them. Conferences are also great source for job leads.

Work with your supervisor to write a conference submission. Consider (for example) whether you are more interested in presenting a conference paper, a poster session, or an interactive discussion symposium. Discuss order of authorship and tips for writing a successful submission.

When you attend the conference, take the opportunity to introduce yourself to the leading people in your field. Attend social events.

For advice, here are two relevant articles: https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/from-phd-to-life/making-conferences-work-career/ and  https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-conference/

Attending a virtual conference? Read https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-make-the-most-of-a-virtual-conference

Don't let the cost of conference attendance discourage you from attending a meeting! Ask your research supervisor for details on any travel or conference assistance the department provides for graduate students.

Be sure to consult the G+PS website on the range and requirements for travel awards for current graduate students (search travel in award opportunites ).

Graduate students are eligible for reimbursement from the Graduate Student Travel and Research Dissemination Fund once per degree program.

As you begin to write your thesis or dissertation, you also should plan how to publish some portion of your research findings.

Having research publications will increase your career prospects whether you are seeking a career in academia, government, or the private sector. Publishing your original work establishes your expertise and professional identity.

Seek advice from your research supervisor about the types of journals that may be interested in your research. Find out whether your supervisor is willing to be involved in developing your scholarly work for publication in peer-reviewed journals, edited scholarly books, or other types of publications.

Be proactive in discussing issues like order of authorship, who takes the lead in writing the article, and the division of responsibilities for writing and submitting the article.

Learn about the publication process by reviewing articles. Ask your supervisor if you can work with them on journal reviews. Faculty members are often happy to have another opinion. It is important to note that, for confidentiality purposes, it is important to obtain the journal editor's approval for this.  Learning how to review other people's work helps you to develop a critical eye for your own work.

The best time to write your work for publication is immediately when it is finished. A delay in beginning to write for publication – even as short as one month – will make the task more difficult.

Recognize that a scholarly publication goes through multiple drafts. Don't freeze up by expecting yourself to write a final version on the first try. Just get something down. It's easier to edit a written document than to begin from scratch.

It is often helpful to use a published article in your research area as a guide for your own writing. Follow the lead of an article written by your research supervisor or another student supervised by them.

Circulate your drafts to your supervisor and to other grad students for discussion. This is particularly helpful when you find yourself stalling out.

Learn from journal reviewers' comments. Don't be defensive about critical feedback; consider it an opportunity to learn from experts. Try to incorporate suggestions for improvement. Most people who review articles genuinely want to help young scholars develop and strengthen their work.

Don't be discouraged if your initial attempts at publication get turned down. Everyone – from Nobel Prize winners on down – has papers rejected. Consider whether you submitted your paper to the appropriate journal and how the paper could be improved for publication elsewhere.

The Finish Line

Here are some good strategies for completing your graduate program.

Senior graduate students often have multiple opportunities to become involved in additional research or professional activities. Faculty members will approach them to help with various interesting projects. As well, students have typically developed a circle of friends. The graduate lifestyle - tackling new projects and socializing- can become a pleasant habit. As a result, however, some students begin to drift away from their planned timeline as they move through their graduate programs.

As you move into the latter years of graduate studies, it is important to keep your eye on the finish line. This means that you make completing your degree your top priority and begin planning the next step in your life. Graduate school should be a time-limited phase in your life, not a substitute for life.

Examine your plans for completing your degree. Are you on schedule?

Make a firm commitment to finish as soon as possible.

If you've encountered any obstacles or stumbling blocks to your degree completion plans, build a strategy for regaining your momentum. Strengthen your time management skills to maximize your productivity.  For support on your progress and completion plan, reach out to your supervisor or peers for support or connect with Graduate Pathways to Success for resources.

Know the UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Thesis Submission Deadlines .  A quick Link to Deadlines is at the top of every Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies web page, along with a link to Forms.

Maintain close contact with your research supervisor and committee members. If you are having difficulty sustaining momentum, seek your supervisor's advice on strategies for finishing your work.

Develop a support network with others who will help to keep you accountable and encourage you to finish your graduate degree.

Meet with graduate students from your program who have reached a similar stage and establish ways to support each other in completing.

Discuss completion with your family and enlist their support in finishing up.

Present scholarly papers about your thesis or dissertation research at academic conferences. Contact with other scholars will motivate you to complete your work.

Use the opportunity to widen your professional networks, identify post-graduation career opportunities, and get feedback on ideas developing from your research. This will fix your eyes on your future.

Keep your graduate degree in perspective by recognizing that it is but a step in your broader career development strategy .

Identify the steps you need to take before you graduate in order to ensure a smooth transition from graduate school to the professional world of work.

Begin to target job or postdoctoral opportunities. There is nothing like a job offer to motivate you to finish up!

Plan Your Next Steps

As you approach the finish line in your graduate degree program, you should be thinking about your next steps. It is never too early to start working on plans for your career after grad school.

As you anticipate graduation, spend time preparing for after graduation. If you have not done so already, this is an ideal period to make connections with individuals working in fields you may be interested in. You can consider using informational interviews or attending networking events to help you do so.

While you still have access to the many resources at UBC, take the opportunity to assess your skills and see how well they connect to the career paths you plan to pursue.  Do these career paths align with your core values and work preferences? Ask yourself what activities you have most enjoyed during your graduate years.   Consider looking at some job postings and making a list of the typical requirements for that type of position. If you identify gaps in your skills, consider making use of professional development training offered by Graduate Pathways to Success, the UBC Career Centre, or within your department.

You should also estimate a realistic timeline for when to begin applying for jobs. Some job types, such as in academia or consulting, use highly structured hiring cycles and require applicants to begin the application process months before they actually start work. Other types of positions have much shorter hiring timelines.

You may wish to discuss your plans with your research supervisor and/or committee.  They may be able to provide valuable advice for your objectives or introduce you to contacts working in your area of interest.

Consider how the skills and capabilities developed in graduate school can be applied more broadly. Recognize how your acquired skills enhance your qualifications for various jobs. Graduate students can underestimate the breadth of skills they have developed. You may view some skills as commonplace when in fact, those skills qualify you for more jobs than you realize.

Conduct a thorough skills inventory based on your graduate experience as you may not be fully aware of the full range of intellectual and management skills that you have developed as part of your graduate work. The following advice from Anne Krook may be helpful:

They’re not “transferable skills”; they’re just skills and Describing your skills in a job letter

Whatever type of career you plan to pursue, you will need the appropriate documents to demonstrate your expertise and experience. Some types of post-graduation opportunities, especially those within academia, will require a curriculum vitae (CV) while others will ask for a resume. All graduate students should understand the difference between these documents and how to prepare them effectively.

A CV should list all of your publications, conference presentations, and other evidence of scholarly activity. It is often helpful to ask your research supervisor for a copy of their latest CV to use as a model. The UBC Career Centre has guidelines for CVs and can provide support with creating and refining a CV.  Faculty members or postdocs from within your discipline are the best source for specialized review.

A resume is typically a much shorter and more tailored document. Examples of resumes can be found on the website for the UBC Career Centre . There are also a number of options to access support around creating and revising resumes, including drop-in appointments and advising sessions.

In 5 years, what would your ideal career situation look like? Life situation?  What additional skills may you need and what career steps would you have to follow in order to reach this objective? Creating a “planning window” of five years or more may be helpful when considering your career objectives.

By now you should have identified one or more potential types of job you would like to pursue. It is common and often advisable to apply to more than one type of position. However, it is very important to understand how hiring practices differ in different sectors (i.e. academia vs government or industry), and how to strategically present yourself as the best candidate. If you are applying to different types of jobs, you will likely need to use different documents when you apply.  It is a good idea to track the jobs you have applied for, including copies of the job description and your application materials.  Some interview requests may come months after the original application and it will be helpful to review these documents.

Use your research skills and your networks to identify the websites or databases where positions are most commonly posted. This is also a good time to identify employers that interest you and look for opportunities to connect with them, whether or not they are actively hiring.

Many positions are never formally advertised and will only be available to you if you engage in networking. Begin to reach out to your contacts and provide as much information as you can about the type of work you are interested in. Encourage them to forward relevant postings to you and connect you with individuals who may be able to help your job search progress.

Make sure you feel confident in the materials you will rely on during your job search. These may include a CV, a resume, cover letters tailored to each position you apply for, letters of recommendation, and teaching or research portfolios. Make use of UBC resources to help create and refine these materials.

Begin to learn about typical interview formats for the types of position you are seeking. Be prepared to practice your interviewing skills and shape your answers to reflect the expectations of a potential employer.

In summary, here are a few steps you can follow:

• Identify one or more potential types of jobs you are interested in pursuing
• Research potential employers and build a network of relevant contacts
• Locate and evaluate relevant job announcements
• Create and update your CV or resume
• Write effective and persuasive cover letters
• Practice your interview and presentation skills
• Reach out to your references, obtain letters of recommendation
• Update your teaching and research portfolios
• Learn about the hiring process, including when and how to negotiate job offers

As with during graduate school, don't forget about your support network. Your peers, your partner, your family, and/or your advisor or committe can help you through the job search process.  Sharing your plans and strategy with them could be beneficial.

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Writing Your Research Proposal

5 Essentials You Need To Keep In Mind

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | June 2023

Writing a high-quality research proposal that “sells” your study and wins the favour (and approval) of your university is no small task. In this post, we’ll share five critical dos and don’ts to help you navigate the proposal writing process.

This post is based on an extract from our online course , Research Proposal Bootcamp . In the course, we walk you through the process of developing an A-grade proposal, step by step, with plain-language explanations and loads of examples. If it’s your first time writing a research proposal, you definitely want to check that out. 

Overview: 5 Proposal Writing Essentials

• Understand your university’s requirements and restrictions
• Have a clearly articulated research problem
• Clearly communicate the feasibility of your research
• Pay very close attention to ethics policies
• Focus on writing critically and concisely

1. Understand the rules of the game

All too often, we see students going through all the effort of finding a unique and valuable topic and drafting a meaty proposal, only to realise that they’ve missed some critical information regarding their university’s requirements. 

Every university is different, but they all have some sort of requirements or expectations regarding what students can and can’t research. For example:

• Restrictions regarding the topic area that can be research
• Restrictions regarding data sources – for example, primary or secondary
• Requirements regarding methodology – for example, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods-based research
• And most notably, there can be varying expectations regarding topic originality – does your topic need to be super original or not?

The key takeaway here is that you need to thoroughly read through any briefing documents provided by your university. Also, take a look at past dissertations or theses from your program to get a feel for what the norms are . Long story short, make sure you understand the rules of the game before you start playing.

2. Have a clearly articulated research problem

As we’ve explained many times on this blog, all good research starts with a strong research problem – without a problem, you don’t have a clear justification for your research. Therefore, it’s essential that you have clarity regarding the research problem you’re going to address before you start drafting your proposal. From the research problem , the research gap emerges and from the research gap, your research aims , objectives and research questions emerge. These then guide your entire dissertation from start to end. 

Needless to say, all of this starts with the literature – in other words, you have to spend time reading the existing literature to understand the current state of knowledge. You can’t skip this all-important step. All too often, we see students make the mistake of trying to write up a proposal without having a clear understanding of the current state of the literature, which is just a recipe for disaster. You’ve got to take the time to understand what’s already been done before you can propose doing something new.

3. Demonstrate the feasibility of your research

One of the key concerns that reviewers or assessors have when deciding to approve or reject a research proposal is the practicality/feasibility of the proposed research , given the student’s resources (which are usually pretty limited). You can have a brilliant research topic that’s super original and valuable, but if there is any question about whether the project is something that you can realistically pull off, you’re going to run into issues when it comes to getting your proposal accepted.

So, what does this mean for you?

First, you need to make sure that the research topic you’ve chosen and the methodology you’re planning to use is 100% safe in terms of feasibility . In other words, you need to be super certain that you can actually pull off this study. Of greatest importance here is the data collection and analysis aspect – in other words, will you be able to get access to the data you need, and will you be able to analyse it?

Second, assuming you’re 100% confident that you can pull the research off, you need to clearly communicate that in your research proposal. To do this, you need to proactively think about all the concerns the reviewer or supervisor might have and ensure that you clearly address these in your proposal. Remember, the proposal is a one-way communication – you get one shot (per submission) to make your case, and there’s generally no Q&A opportunity . So, make it clear what you’ll be doing, what the potential risks are and how you’ll manage those risks to ensure that your study goes according to plan.

If you have the word count available, it’s a good idea to present a project plan , ideally using something like a Gantt chart. You can also consider presenting a risk register , where you detail the potential risks, their likelihood and impact, and your mitigation and response actions – this will show the assessor that you’ve really thought through the practicalities of your proposed project. If you want to learn more about project plans and risk registers, we cover these in detail in our proposal writing course, Research Proposal Bootcamp , and we also provide templates that you can use. 

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4. Pay close attention to ethics policies

This one’s a biggy – and it can often be a dream crusher for students with lofty research ideas. If there’s one thing that will sink your research proposal faster than anything else, it’s non-compliance with your university’s research ethics policy . This is simply a non-negotiable, so don’t waste your time thinking you can convince your institution otherwise. If your proposed research runs against any aspect of your institution’s ethics policies, it’s a no-go.

The ethics requirements for dissertations can vary depending on the field of study, institution, and country, so we can’t give you a list of things you need to do, but some common requirements that you should be aware of include things like:

• Informed consent – in other words, getting permission/consent from your study’s participants and allowing them to opt out at any point
• Privacy and confidentiality – in other words, ensuring that you manage the data securely and respect people’s privacy
• If your research involves animals (as opposed to people), you’ll need to explain how you’ll ensure ethical treatment, how you’ll reduce harm or distress, etc.

One more thing to keep in mind is that certain types of research may be acceptable from an ethics perspective, but will require additional levels of approval . For example, if you’re planning to study any sort of vulnerable population (e.g., children, the elderly, people with mental health conditions, etc.), this may be allowed in principle but requires additional ethical scrutiny. This often involves some sort of review board or committee, which slows things down quite a bit. Situations like this aren’t proposal killers, but they can create a much more rigid environment , so you need to consider whether that works for you, given your timeline.

5. Write critically and concisely

The final item on the list is more generic but just as important to the success of your research proposal – that is, writing critically and concisely . 

All too often, students fall short in terms of critical writing and end up writing in a very descriptive manner instead. We’ve got a detailed blog post and video explaining the difference between these two types of writing, so we won’t go into detail here. However, the simplest way to distinguish between the two types of writing is that descriptive writing focuses on the what , while analytical writing draws out the “so what” – in other words, what’s the impact and relevance of each point that you’re making to the bigger issue at hand.

In the case of a research proposal, the core task at hand is to convince the reader that your planned research deserves a chance . To do this, you need to show the reviewer that your research will (amongst other things) be original , valuable and practical . So, when you’re writing, you need to keep this core objective front of mind and write with purpose, taking every opportunity to link what you’re writing about to that core purpose of the proposal.

The second aspect in relation to writing is to write concisely . All too often, students ramble on and use far more word count than is necessary. Part of the problem here is that their writing is just too descriptive (the previous point) and part of the issue is just a lack of editing .

The keyword here is editing – in other words, you don’t need to write the most concise version possible on your first try – if anything, we encourage you to just thought vomit as much as you can in the initial stages of writing. Once you’ve got everything down on paper, then you can get down to editing and trimming down your writing . You need to get comfortable with this process of iteration and revision with everything you write – don’t try to write the perfect first draft. First, get the thoughts out of your head and onto the paper , then edit. This is a habit that will serve you well beyond your proposal, into your actual dissertation or thesis.

Wrapping Up

To recap, the five essentials to keep in mind when writing up your research proposal include:

If you want to learn more about how to craft a top-notch research proposal, be sure to check out our online course for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide. Alternatively, if you’d like to get hands-on help developing your proposal, be sure to check out our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the research journey, step by step. 

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling Udemy Course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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• Starting the research process

A Beginner's Guide to Starting the Research Process

When you have to write a thesis or dissertation , it can be hard to know where to begin, but there are some clear steps you can follow.

The research process often begins with a very broad idea for a topic you’d like to know more about. You do some preliminary research to identify a  problem . After refining your research questions , you can lay out the foundations of your research design , leading to a proposal that outlines your ideas and plans.

This article takes you through the first steps of the research process, helping you narrow down your ideas and build up a strong foundation for your research project.

Table of contents

Step 1: choose your topic, step 2: identify a problem, step 3: formulate research questions, step 4: create a research design, step 5: write a research proposal, other interesting articles.

First you have to come up with some ideas. Your thesis or dissertation topic can start out very broad. Think about the general area or field you’re interested in—maybe you already have specific research interests based on classes you’ve taken, or maybe you had to consider your topic when applying to graduate school and writing a statement of purpose .

Even if you already have a good sense of your topic, you’ll need to read widely to build background knowledge and begin narrowing down your ideas. Conduct an initial literature review to begin gathering relevant sources. As you read, take notes and try to identify problems, questions, debates, contradictions and gaps. Your aim is to narrow down from a broad area of interest to a specific niche.

Make sure to consider the practicalities: the requirements of your programme, the amount of time you have to complete the research, and how difficult it will be to access sources and data on the topic. Before moving onto the next stage, it’s a good idea to discuss the topic with your thesis supervisor.

>>Read more about narrowing down a research topic

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So you’ve settled on a topic and found a niche—but what exactly will your research investigate, and why does it matter? To give your project focus and purpose, you have to define a research problem .

The problem might be a practical issue—for example, a process or practice that isn’t working well, an area of concern in an organization’s performance, or a difficulty faced by a specific group of people in society.

Alternatively, you might choose to investigate a theoretical problem—for example, an underexplored phenomenon or relationship, a contradiction between different models or theories, or an unresolved debate among scholars.

To put the problem in context and set your objectives, you can write a problem statement . This describes who the problem affects, why research is needed, and how your research project will contribute to solving it.

>>Read more about defining a research problem

Next, based on the problem statement, you need to write one or more research questions . These target exactly what you want to find out. They might focus on describing, comparing, evaluating, or explaining the research problem.

A strong research question should be specific enough that you can answer it thoroughly using appropriate qualitative or quantitative research methods. It should also be complex enough to require in-depth investigation, analysis, and argument. Questions that can be answered with “yes/no” or with easily available facts are not complex enough for a thesis or dissertation.

In some types of research, at this stage you might also have to develop a conceptual framework and testable hypotheses .

>>See research question examples

The research design is a practical framework for answering your research questions. It involves making decisions about the type of data you need, the methods you’ll use to collect and analyze it, and the location and timescale of your research.

There are often many possible paths you can take to answering your questions. The decisions you make will partly be based on your priorities. For example, do you want to determine causes and effects, draw generalizable conclusions, or understand the details of a specific context?

You need to decide whether you will use primary or secondary data and qualitative or quantitative methods . You also need to determine the specific tools, procedures, and materials you’ll use to collect and analyze your data, as well as your criteria for selecting participants or sources.

>>Read more about creating a research design

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Finally, after completing these steps, you are ready to complete a research proposal . The proposal outlines the context, relevance, purpose, and plan of your research.

As well as outlining the background, problem statement, and research questions, the proposal should also include a literature review that shows how your project will fit into existing work on the topic. The research design section describes your approach and explains exactly what you will do.

You might have to get the proposal approved by your supervisor before you get started, and it will guide the process of writing your thesis or dissertation.

>>Read more about writing a research proposal

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

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• 10 Research Question Examples to Guide Your Research Project
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• How to Define a Research Problem | Ideas & Examples
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• Research Objectives | Definition & Examples
• What Is a Fishbone Diagram? | Templates & Examples
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The Game Plan

• Choose a topic for your research by December.
• Choose a mentor to guide you throughout your research project.
• Decide on authorship in your final paper.
• Enjoy a full course in research methodology.
• Sign a Mentorship Contract with your project’s mentor.
• Work on preparing your residency project during the course (Feb – Apr).
• Meet and learn during journal clubs.
• Work on your project and keep meeting with your mentor at least every 3 months.
• Consider applying for a research grant.
• Consider presenting at research day.
• Organize, attend and engage in journal clubs.
• Consider a research elective – to learn more about your project.
• Plan to be advanced in your research project, keep meeting with your mentor every 3 months minimum.
• Present at the DOP Research Day.
• Plan to present at other conferences/submit abstracts.
• Enjoy journal clubs.
• During ‘night float’ – can take 2 weeks for research.
• Start and finish writing your final paper.
• Not completed with your project?
• Last minute assignments and abstract submission.
• Submit your paper for publication.
• [For residents doing sub-specialty training starting R4, ideally the abstract and manuscript submission should be completed in R3, as there will be new research projects to contend with in fellowship.]

The Road to Success

BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute

• Learn more about our faculty and their Research: Pediatric Faculty Showcase (https://vimeo.com/showcase/9077024)
• Research Education: Video Library (https://hub.bcchr.ca/display/resedu/Video+Library)
• Research Skills: Biostatistics Workshops (https://hub.bcchr.ca/display/resedu/Research+Skills)
• Other Research Resources

Research as a career? Come speak with us! We’ve got you covered.

User Research Throughout the Game Development Process

Chris Hugelmann

Contributing author at PlaytestCloud. Currently playing: Lost Sphear & Destiny 2.

As the prominence of user research in the tech industry continues to rise, more and more game development companies are looking to user researchers to improve the player experience within their title libraries. We recently spoke with two research strategists at Outfit7, Anja Arhar and Nives Đorđević. They confirmed for us that user research’s place within the game development life cycle has become much more involved throughout the whole process. What’s more, they said user researchers are better able to enact change throughout the course of a game’s development. This is in stark contrast to how such planning was previously established, whereby user research was generally considered quality assurance (QA), completed at the end of the development cycle, and only as a final pass.

Here, we will discuss how user research plays a critical role in the development of digital games, how that role has changed, and what types of research can be done at each step of the process to benefit your game’s first time user experience (FTUE) and beyond!

In the beginning: User research at the concept stage of development

According to the Nielsen Norman Group [1] , when an organization — or in this case, a game development studio — has reached a certain level of UX maturity, they have successfully integrated a user-centered design process within their UX or user research departments, and throughout their culture and at all leadership levels. This means they have placed adequate trust in user researcher involvement and initiative early on in a game’s development life cycle, have supported their integration into the development team, and have helped them enact positive change at all steps of the process.

As a user researcher, being involved early and often is ideal, and offers up a chance for researchers to assist with decision-making processes, and to steer your game towards better UX through their user research expertise.

Nives and Anja, for instance, pointed out that early on, methods like focus groups [2] allowed their user research team to better understand how the game concept was being perceived, and whether that perception aligned with expectations from the game development team. This was also done with a convenience sample [3] of players who had played previous titles of the game in the past. This allowed the research team to gather qualitative information about the general sentiment of a potential player’s reception to the concept being proposed, allowing the user research team to incorporate feedback from participants such as “needs” and “wants” into categories for further study.

Testing before the build: The importance of pre-production user research

Generally at this stage of the process, ideas are still amorphous and flexible, so being open-minded is key, as is testing all sorts of different concepts, as well as keeping lines of communication between the user research and development teams open.

Additionally, as a game is still in the pre-production state, this is an ideal time to complete a competitor analysis [4] of games that may have similar mechanics or audiences. This exploration allows the design team to catch any potential issues of incongruence between audience and product, as well as to gather feedback on what players want or expect to see, even before they have a working build!

Finally, testing ideas to solidify them into assets in-game is an ideal target for this step, as there is still plenty of flexibility and opportunity for change. As Nives and Anja relayed in their talk, even testing icons with paper prototypes was found to be valuable (not to mention cost effective, thereby improving feedback accessibility) and will continue to aid designers further on in the development process as they learn what works best and what needs improvement.

Research while creating the game: User research during the production phase

While games are being produced, there are usually several benchmarks or milestones that production and development teams utilize to ensure the game is on track to release, and that each step of the development process is up to a satisfactory standard before moving on. Obviously, this method offers user researchers an opportunity to intervene and help the team better understand the overall game experience, knowledge, and usability from a player’s perspective. Nives and Anja described the ways in which detailed, iterative playtesting offers fantastic results during the production phase. Indeed, much of the game will have been fully formulated at that point, with the builds of the game offering players a real glimpse into what the final game will look and feel like.

This phase is important for user researchers on the team, since they can test several different elements of gameplay, including game mechanics, visual design, usability and accessibility issues, iconography, and interface design. As these elements become solidified within different builds, testing early and often becomes vital, and impacts the extent to which valuable feedback makes its way from players to the development team.

One important aspect Outfit7 chose to highlight is the tutorial process: a necessary but sometimes overlooked element of digital games that scaffolds necessary knowledge from the game to the player. In addition to gathering useful qualitative data through a think-out-loud protocol [5] , Nives and Anja mentioned that quantitative data, such as time-on-task to complete tutorials, can be helpful in discern player behavior such as whether players are rushing through the tutorial and will inevitably churn [6] . Additionally, the use of A/B testing [7] when implementing changes to specific parts of the build will allow players to compare and contrast those alterations, and ultimately express their preferences.

Out in the players’ hands: What user research can do during release and post-release

As with many mobile games, Nives and Anja - and the entire team at Outfit7 - focused on the first-time user experience (FTUE) during the production phase of My Talking Tom Friends , to ensure that players understood the game and would continue to play. While FTUE is vital to the success of many digital games, it is also important to understand how players are playing your game in the real-world, and how their play behaviors can change throughout the gameplay process. While many games use data analytics and telemetry data [8] to understand what players are doing, an improved understanding of the qualitative side of how players are feeling is essential.

Anja and Nives discussed their usage of diary studies [9] , which, according to their practice, was a new methodology for them. This also spoke to their commitment to iteratively learning more about the method while also learning through the method. As is usually the case, their diary study was meant to look at potential reasons for player churn. Nives and Anja thus created a test plan which involved five days of gameplay at some point over a ten-day timeframe. Participants then recorded their thoughts and feelings during play sessions.

Anja and Nives’ diary study was used in combination with short surveys and wrap-up interviews at the end of the full study protocol. This exploration enabled in-house researchers to better understand player stories, their different playstyles, their feelings surrounding the game, and their motivations behind displayed behaviors, specifically from a player’s perspective.

As a result, developers were then better at referring to specific player needs, not just in terms of more skilled/less skilled players, but in terms of what motivates players, what keeps them engaged, what sorts of time commitments players are willing to use in the game, in addition to other important aspects which can ultimately guide development. These insights can inform future game updates, especially in games as a service (GaaS) [10] models, where player retention is especially important.

Concluding thoughts: integrating user research from the start within the game development process

Game development can be a lengthy, arduous experience, yet it offers a plethora of opportunities for user researchers to improve the experience players have in your game. As Nives & Anja have discussed, user researchers can have a dramatic impact on a game’s development cycle, and they can play an influential role in elevating a game to be the best it can be.

As user experience research becomes more common in the tech industry, it is vital that every part of the team is working cohesively, and that they are communicating every step of the way - ideally starting this process as early as possible. This more than anything will have the greatest impact on both the product and on overall player experience.

Want to start using user research in your game development? sign-up now and start playtesting!

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-maturity-model/ ↩︎

a type of group interview with participants who have similar experiences or behaviors, to gain an understanding of their reactions and responses to predetermined research questions. ↩︎

where a sample is drawn from part of a population because they are easily accessible, though not always representative of the total population. ↩︎

an assessment of strengths and weaknesses, especially in comparison to your own product, of current or potential competitors in the same market space. ↩︎

a methodology that asks the user to engage with the system while actively verbalizing their thoughts and ideas as they are using the system. ↩︎

churn rate or churning is the act of users playing your game and then stopping, ultimately never returning. This is especially notable in the mobile and free-to-play markets. It is the opposite of a retention rate. ↩︎

a type of experiment where two different variants of a similar object/screen are shown to users at random, where the variant is a simple change that might affect user behavior. ↩︎

data that is remotely sent back to the developer from folks playing the game, such as time spent in specific areas, latency between players, and so on. ↩︎

collecting qualitative data from individuals over the course of an extended time period -- called longitudinally -- logging specific information about the activity that is being studied. ↩︎

where developers and publishers provide game content on a continual revenue model, monetizing video games after the initial purchase, or as a way to make money within a free-to-play model. ↩︎

Moderate your first Live playtest

When to use moderated and unmoderated research

Analyzing player interviews - Making sense of the data

Running great player interviews - Making the most of your time with players

Overcome the fear - preparing for your first player interview

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How to write a research plan: Step-by-step guide

Last updated

30 January 2024

Reviewed by

Today’s businesses and institutions rely on data and analytics to inform their product and service decisions. These metrics influence how organizations stay competitive and inspire innovation. However, gathering data and insights requires carefully constructed research, and every research project needs a roadmap. This is where a research plan comes into play.

There’s general research planning; then there’s an official, well-executed research plan. Whatever data-driven research project you’re gearing up for, the research plan will be your framework for execution. The plan should also be detailed and thorough, with a diligent set of criteria to formulate your research efforts. Not including these key elements in your plan can be just as harmful as having no plan at all.

Read this step-by-step guide for writing a detailed research plan that can apply to any project, whether it’s scientific, educational, or business-related.

• What is a research plan?

A research plan is a documented overview of a project in its entirety, from end to end. It details the research efforts, participants, and methods needed, along with any anticipated results. It also outlines the project’s goals and mission, creating layers of steps to achieve those goals within a specified timeline.

Without a research plan, you and your team are flying blind, potentially wasting time and resources to pursue research without structured guidance.

The principal investigator, or PI, is responsible for facilitating the research oversight. They will create the research plan and inform team members and stakeholders of every detail relating to the project. The PI will also use the research plan to inform decision-making throughout the project.

• Why do you need a research plan?

Create a research plan before starting any official research to maximize every effort in pursuing and collecting the research data. Crucially, the plan will model the activities needed at each phase of the research project.

Like any roadmap, a research plan serves as a valuable tool providing direction for those involved in the project—both internally and externally. It will keep you and your immediate team organized and task-focused while also providing necessary definitions and timelines so you can execute your project initiatives with full understanding and transparency.

External stakeholders appreciate a working research plan because it’s a great communication tool, documenting progress and changing dynamics as they arise. Any participants of your planned research sessions will be informed about the purpose of your study, while the exercises will be based on the key messaging outlined in the official plan.

Here are some of the benefits of creating a research plan document for every project:

Project organization and structure

Well-informed participants

All stakeholders and teams align in support of the project

Clearly defined project definitions and purposes

Distractions are eliminated, prioritizing task focus

Timely management of individual task schedules and roles

Costly reworks are avoided

• What should a research plan include?

The different aspects of your research plan will depend on the nature of the project. However, most official research plan documents will include the core elements below. Each aims to define the problem statement, devising an official plan for seeking a solution.

Specific project goals and individual objectives

Ideal strategies or methods for reaching those goals

Required resources

Descriptions of the target audience, sample sizes, demographics, and scopes

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Project background

Research and testing support

Preliminary studies and progress reporting mechanisms

Cost estimates and change order processes

Depending on the research project’s size and scope, your research plan could be brief—perhaps only a few pages of documented plans. Alternatively, it could be a fully comprehensive report. Either way, it’s an essential first step in dictating your project’s facilitation in the most efficient and effective way.

• How to write a research plan for your project

When you start writing your research plan, aim to be detailed about each step, requirement, and idea. The more time you spend curating your research plan, the more precise your research execution efforts will be.

Account for every potential scenario, and be sure to address each and every aspect of the research.

Consider following this flow to develop a great research plan for your project:

Define your project’s purpose

Start by defining your project’s purpose. Identify what your project aims to accomplish and what you are researching. Remember to use clear language.

Thinking about the project’s purpose will help you set realistic goals and inform how you divide tasks and assign responsibilities. These individual tasks will be your stepping stones to reach your overarching goal.

Additionally, you’ll want to identify the specific problem, the usability metrics needed, and the intended solutions.

Know the following three things about your project’s purpose before you outline anything else:

What you’re doing

Why you’re doing it

What you expect from it

Identify individual objectives

With your overarching project objectives in place, you can identify any individual goals or steps needed to reach those objectives. Break them down into phases or steps. You can work backward from the project goal and identify every process required to facilitate it.

Be mindful to identify each unique task so that you can assign responsibilities to various team members. At this point in your research plan development, you’ll also want to assign priority to those smaller, more manageable steps and phases that require more immediate or dedicated attention.

Select research methods

Research methods might include any of the following:

User interviews: this is a qualitative research method where researchers engage with participants in one-on-one or group conversations. The aim is to gather insights into their experiences, preferences, and opinions to uncover patterns, trends, and data.

Field studies: this approach allows for a contextual understanding of behaviors, interactions, and processes in real-world settings. It involves the researcher immersing themselves in the field, conducting observations, interviews, or experiments to gather in-depth insights.

Card sorting: participants categorize information by sorting content cards into groups based on their perceived similarities. You might use this process to gain insights into participants’ mental models and preferences when navigating or organizing information on websites, apps, or other systems.

Focus groups: use organized discussions among select groups of participants to provide relevant views and experiences about a particular topic.

Diary studies: ask participants to record their experiences, thoughts, and activities in a diary over a specified period. This method provides a deeper understanding of user experiences, uncovers patterns, and identifies areas for improvement.

Five-second testing: participants are shown a design, such as a web page or interface, for just five seconds. They then answer questions about their initial impressions and recall, allowing you to evaluate the design’s effectiveness.

Surveys: get feedback from participant groups with structured surveys. You can use online forms, telephone interviews, or paper questionnaires to reveal trends, patterns, and correlations.

Tree testing: tree testing involves researching web assets through the lens of findability and navigability. Participants are given a textual representation of the site’s hierarchy (the “tree”) and asked to locate specific information or complete tasks by selecting paths.

Usability testing: ask participants to interact with a product, website, or application to evaluate its ease of use. This method enables you to uncover areas for improvement in digital key feature functionality by observing participants using the product.

Live website testing: research and collect analytics that outlines the design, usability, and performance efficiencies of a website in real time.

There are no limits to the number of research methods you could use within your project. Just make sure your research methods help you determine the following:

What do you plan to do with the research findings?

What decisions will this research inform? How can your stakeholders leverage the research data and results?

Recruit participants and allocate tasks

Next, identify the participants needed to complete the research and the resources required to complete the tasks. Different people will be proficient at different tasks, and having a task allocation plan will allow everything to run smoothly.

Prepare a thorough project summary

Every well-designed research plan will feature a project summary. This official summary will guide your research alongside its communications or messaging. You’ll use the summary while recruiting participants and during stakeholder meetings. It can also be useful when conducting field studies.

Ensure this summary includes all the elements of your research project. Separate the steps into an easily explainable piece of text that includes the following:

An introduction: the message you’ll deliver to participants about the interview, pre-planned questioning, and testing tasks.

Interview questions: prepare questions you intend to ask participants as part of your research study, guiding the sessions from start to finish.

An exit message: draft messaging your teams will use to conclude testing or survey sessions. These should include the next steps and express gratitude for the participant’s time.

Create a realistic timeline

While your project might already have a deadline or a results timeline in place, you’ll need to consider the time needed to execute it effectively.

Realistically outline the time needed to properly execute each supporting phase of research and implementation. And, as you evaluate the necessary schedules, be sure to include additional time for achieving each milestone in case any changes or unexpected delays arise.

For this part of your research plan, you might find it helpful to create visuals to ensure your research team and stakeholders fully understand the information.

Determine how to present your results

A research plan must also describe how you intend to present your results. Depending on the nature of your project and its goals, you might dedicate one team member (the PI) or assume responsibility for communicating the findings yourself.

In this part of the research plan, you’ll articulate how you’ll share the results. Detail any materials you’ll use, such as:

Presentations and slides

A project report booklet

A project findings pamphlet

Documents with key takeaways and statistics

Graphic visuals to support your findings

• Format your research plan

As you create your research plan, you can enjoy a little creative freedom. A plan can assume many forms, so format it how you see fit. Determine the best layout based on your specific project, intended communications, and the preferences of your teams and stakeholders.

Find format inspiration among the following layouts:

Written outlines

Narrative storytelling

Visual mapping

Graphic timelines

Remember, the research plan format you choose will be subject to change and adaptation as your research and findings unfold. However, your final format should ideally outline questions, problems, opportunities, and expectations.

• Research plan example

Imagine you’ve been tasked with finding out how to get more customers to order takeout from an online food delivery platform. The goal is to improve satisfaction and retain existing customers. You set out to discover why more people aren’t ordering and what it is they do want to order or experience. 

You identify the need for a research project that helps you understand what drives customer loyalty. But before you jump in and start calling past customers, you need to develop a research plan—the roadmap that provides focus, clarity, and realistic details to the project.

Here’s an example outline of a research plan you might put together:

Project title

Project members involved in the research plan

Purpose of the project (provide a summary of the research plan’s intent)

Objective 1 (provide a short description for each objective)

Objective 2

Objective 3

Proposed timeline

Audience (detail the group you want to research, such as customers or non-customers)

Budget (how much you think it might cost to do the research)

Risk factors/contingencies (any potential risk factors that may impact the project’s success)

Remember, your research plan doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel—it just needs to fit your project’s unique needs and aims.

Customizing a research plan template

Some companies offer research plan templates to help get you started. However, it may make more sense to develop your own customized plan template. Be sure to include the core elements of a great research plan with your template layout, including the following:

Introductions to participants and stakeholders

Background problems and needs statement

Significance, ethics, and purpose

Research methods, questions, and designs

Preliminary beliefs and expectations

Implications and intended outcomes

Realistic timelines for each phase

Conclusion and presentations

How many pages should a research plan be?

Generally, a research plan can vary in length between 500 to 1,500 words. This is roughly three pages of content. More substantial projects will be 2,000 to 3,500 words, taking up four to seven pages of planning documents.

What is the difference between a research plan and a research proposal?

A research plan is a roadmap to success for research teams. A research proposal, on the other hand, is a dissertation aimed at convincing or earning the support of others. Both are relevant in creating a guide to follow to complete a project goal.

What are the seven steps to developing a research plan?

While each research project is different, it’s best to follow these seven general steps to create your research plan:

Defining the problem

Identifying goals

Choosing research methods

Recruiting participants

Preparing the brief or summary

Establishing task timelines

Defining how you will present the findings

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Game plan: research.

When most people think about research, they imagine a clinical process and rigid structure grounded in an overwhelming amount of data. At Simantel, we tend to have a different approach to research. With the NFL season in the home stretch, we’ll use a football analogy to help explain.

There’s No “I” In Team

Let’s establish that a marketing and communications campaign functions like an athletic team. A campaign is most successful when the entire group works together, each providing value and doing their part to achieve the desired result. No one individual is more important than the other, nor can one survive without the other. Research, strategy, account management, video, digital and creative must all play their role.

Our research manager, Jason Brown, was quick to offer an analogy when we asked him about the value of research and its underrated role in the final deliverable.

“Think of research as the offensive line and creative as the skill players who score all the touchdowns – running backs and wide receivers. The offensive line (research) lays the groundwork, opens the holes and provides the protection so that the skill players (creative) can shine,” says Jason.

Although research can seem like a less significant piece of the puzzle, it’s extremely important to each and every campaign. You wouldn’t want your creative to get “sacked,” would you?

Game Plans Are Scalable

Much like the notion that offensive linemen are fat and slow, there’s an unfair assumption that research is just a survey, interview or time searching the web. In fact it’s much more than that.

According to Jason, “Research is the ability to assess a situation with the simple goal of knowing more than you did previously, and with a clearer direction to pursue.” This knowledge can come through one-on-one conversations, group discussions, observations, surveys, hypothesis testing, secondary research and more.

An open mind and diverse approach to the research process allows for more flexibility throughout the campaign. It gives our team the ability to tailor the most effective and efficient plan for any budget, timeline and scope.

You Can’t Wing It

Almost all of our research falls into three buckets: exploration, clarification or validation. To get the most out of the team’s efforts, it’s important to know the goals of the work up front. One of the most important activities that NFL coaches do is game plan, and we like to do the same before kicking things off.

Exploration is the most common form of research, where clients recognize that there is a clear unknown in the marketplace. Consider this the scouting report, which describes each team, their star players and their strengths/weaknesses. Exploration provides an answer to questions involving business opportunities, target market, market segments or current perceptions about a product/service.

Validation is becoming more common throughout the industry. Many times, clients are forced to confirm the communications and marketing direction they’ve chosen. In football terms, validation is the challenge flag that coaches throw when they’d like a certain call to be reviewed on video. The official may be confident in his call, but he has to review. Similarly, the team may be comfortable with the direction of the campaign, but when the challenge flag is thrown, research can provide the answer.

Clarification is when clients believe they know their customers and the current perception about their product/service. Unfortunately, some clients are too close for an objective viewpoint. Customers are more open to communicating with a third party, leading to an honest conversation that captures useable insights. It’s similar to a team watching film after a game. Often times, players are too close to the action to see everything that is captured in the game film. Research helps give clients the full picture, which they may not see from their side of the field.

The Perfect Pocket

In most cases, the client, their superiors or even our own account supervisors will question the direction of a campaign. Research gives the account staff the confidence and support to defend the chosen direction. If the account staff is the quarterback, the research (offensive line) gives them the ability to stand in the pocket and continue looking downfield before throwing the ball. Without the support of research, the account leads may begin “scrambling” for answers.

Calling an Audible

Every campaign should incorporate some level of optimization. The initial direction may be spot on, but perceptions and the way communications are received can change rather quickly. If you’re not optimizing, it doesn’t take long to fall behind. Research allows us to continue adjusting a campaign for best results.

Think of it like a team changing the play at the line of scrimmage just before the ball is hiked. No matter how great the coach’s play call was at first, it might be best to change the play when the offense identifies the formation of the defense. Call it an audible.

Like any offensive line, research doesn’t get the spotlight, but is vital to the team’s overall success. If you’re interested in finding out more about our research process and how we use it throughout client work, shoot us an email or give us a call at (309) 674-7747.

Jason loves nothing more than talking research…and football.

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How To Conduct User Research In The Prototype Stage For Your Game

Testing ideas in the prototype stage is a vital step in your game’s development. But what should you test? And who to? In this post from GameAnalytics, they answer just that…

Editor’s note:  This post was originally published by Sarah Impey,  Content Marketing Manager at GameAnalytics . With several years of experience digging into industry trends, Sarah knows how to boil down complicated topics into key insights.

Whether it’s your game concept or your core game features, prototyping and testing ideas at an early stage can you let you know a lot about the health of your game, and more specifically, if people are actually going to enjoy it.

Ideally, you’ll want to make sure your title is popular the moment it hits the market. Not only is testing in the early stages of development good for getting your game out there, but it can also help you focus your production process on features that will make the most impact on your intended audience.

In this post, you’ll find the steps you need to take when conducting user research during that all-important prototype phase. GameAnalytics included a bunch of different examples of specific test methods (with pros and cons of each) as well as advice for pulling together your very own test plan.

This is a bit of a lengthy post, so feel free to skip to a specific section if you’re looking for something in particular:

Step 1: Plan out your approach

Step 2: make sure you know what you’re testing, and why.

• Step 3: Choose the right testing method

Step 4: Reviewing the results

• Top takeaways (TL;DR)
• Useful links
• Your User Research Checklist  (useful guide that you can download)

Testing is great. It can tell you things about your game that you’re blind to, or just confirm suspicions that may have been playing on your mind. However, before you test anything about your game, you’ll need to take a moment to reflect on the purpose of your prototype stage.

This stage is about figuring out exactly what you need to test in order to improve your game, but also laying out the steps you need to take to move forward. A few questions you’re going to need to answer are:

• What is your  ultimate objective ?
• What are your  plans post-test ?
• What  resources  do you have?
• How much time  can you dedicate to test?
• Which  features  do you need to test?

Now is the time to define your strategy for your user research. The approach you take should be tailored to the data that matters to your game development, whether it’s feedback on game angles, ideas, concepts, gameplay, or, simply just the design.

For example, if I’m creating a hyper-casual title with simple mechanics, it would be foolish to test narrative. A better use of time here would be the games core loop, difficulty or level design.

To help you understand what this requires, GameAnalytics created a useful document with the essential questions and checklists you’ll need when building a prototype test plan. You can download a copy here .

What on earth are you testing?

So you have your approach all together, and you’re ready to take the next step. At this stage, you’re going to have to look at your title and decide exactly on what you’re going to test. Depending on the approach, this could either be a particular in-game feature, aesthetics, the overall UX, or even a monetization strategy.

Knowing exactly what you’re testing will inform the whole structure of the user research. If you’re searching for feedback on your game’s concept, for example, you might want to mock-up an app store screen with descriptions and images to see how new players respond.

Who should you be testing?

Once you know what you’re testing, you’ll have a better idea of who you should be testing it with. This refers to the number of participants you need to gather results from, as well as the demographics and  player personas  you need to target.

If you want to gain more qualitative feedback on whether a specific kind of player will enjoy your game, playtesting sessions that involve face-to-face interviews might be the best option for you. To do this, you’ll need to be familiar with the type of players your game is targeting, considering things like age, gender, platform, player experience levels and interests.

To give you an idea of what we mean, here’s a few different examples:

• Specific audience:  Hard-core gamers who play for 20+ hours a week, aged 20 – 40, lives in London
• Less specific:  Women, aged 50+ who are interested in puzzle games
• Open : 10 Beta players

Why are you doing this test?

You should have a pretty good idea what the answer is to this question, but it’s important to write this down. It’s easy to get lost in all of the nitty gritty details when conducting your user research, so this all-important ‘why’ will bring you back to Earth, and keep your vision and goal clear.

A few examples of ‘why’ you’ll be testing could be:

• See if players simply  enjoy the core features
• Understand first impressions  of the game in the app store
• Find out  if levels are too difficult  or too easy
• Learn  how players interact  with the core game

How are you going to test?

There’s an appropriate tool for every job. Once you’ve answered the above questions, you should be in a good place to decide on which testing methods are the best fit for your purpose. For instance, your decision will vary massively depending on whether you’re searching for in-depth qualitative feedback on player experiences, or if you’re searching for more general feedback from a large sample of participants.

GameAnalytics actually listed some of the most popular testing methods below to aid your user research during the prototype stage…

Step 3: Choose the right testing methods

A/b testing.

As you may already be aware, A/B testing lets you test two or more things at the same time in a controlled environment. These types of tests normally are an iteration of one aspect, as it’s important to make sure you’re testing apples against apples.

For example, you can test a red icon colour against a green icon colour. But you can’t test a red icon colour against a different type of font – the results of this will just confuse you and lead to inconclusive results.

Online surveys

The use of online market research tools has come a long way in the last decade. There are now several game-specific platforms (like  Playtest Cloud ,  Sekg ,  Player Research , and more) that are set up to offer you easy survey functionality when it comes to testing elements of your game.

Diary studies

Diary studies are a form of long-term research that takes place over a set duration of time. Typically, users report their activities at regular intervals to create a record that developers can study. It’s up to you how this is structured, but it can include player’s thoughts, frustrations or enjoyability levels over a number of sessions.

Expert reviews

Mobile game experts can offer something unique when it comes to prototype testing. Whether it’s a pro gamer or a professional prototype tester, sometimes you need feedback from someone who has a firm grasp of the medium to inform your development strategy. This should help offer actionable development advice that can help you transform specific features of your game.

Face-to-face interviews

There are a few variations for how this test method works. A basic model is having a group of testers play your game for a set period of time, allowing them test out different features and experience the game as a whole. Following this, an interview can be performed to gather specific feedback related to their experience.

When reviewing your test results, everything should tie back in to your test objectives as outlined in your test plan. In the end, your interviews, studies or surveys are all designed to improve your overall development process, so make sure you use the results to inform your strategy going forward.

The data you receive should also be reviewed as objectively as possible. If your team are too close to the situation to judge it fairly, then bring in some fresh eyes to help you understand your next course of action. It’s important that you don’t let emotions get in the way. If you receive some negative feedback, you simply need to suck it up and adapt your future approach – there’s no two ways about it.

If your results confirm your initial ideas then hooray! You can now act with the confidence you need to invest additional resources into further developing and refining your game, bringing it that one step closer to the finish line.

Here’s an example…

As we are a strong advisor of ‘show don’t tell’, here’s an example of how you can conduct your user research for your next project. Also, don’t forget to download GameAnalytics’ template , which should help you cut some corners when setting up.

Example: We have an unproven game concept in mind, but we don’t know if players will like it

• We need to find out if our concept will resonate with potential players. To achieve this, we’ll need to mock-up an app store page, with fake images, text and gameplay. Our resources are limited and budget tight, so this route will make sure we don’t exhaust ourselves in case we need to do more testing.
• What: A fake app store page, with images, text and mock gameplay
• Who: Men aged 20 – 35 who work in London and play mobile games (roughly 300 invitations.)
• Why: To find out if our game’s concept is interesting enough for players to want to download
• How: Online survey
• Create mock assets for testing
• Decide and set up online survey questions
• Identify audience and send out invitation
• Decide on closing date
• At this stage, we should have a collection of results that will help decide our next steps.

Due to the high costs associated with developing and launching new games, identifying failing ideas as fast as possible is crucial. This could save you a ton of time in the long run, as well as make sure you’re on the path to success.

When figuring out your approach, don’t get stuck within a rigid test format. What might work for one studio might not necessarily work for you, so tailor your user research to suit your target audience, genre and the development stage of your game (as well as the resources that you have).

Finally, use a collection of different test methods for more reliable results (if you can). Any areas that overlap between different methods will give you more solid conclusions, rather than relying on the success of one method alone.

More on game testing

For more information and advice on game testing, GameAnalytics collected some great links that can help you while you’re conducting research during the prototype phase:

• How To Do An Efficient Game Test
• A/B testing with Custom Dimensions
• UX Walkthrough: Anatomy of a Usability Test in Video Games (Part-1)

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UX Research Plan Cheat Sheet to Understanding Games User Research

The Acagamic Tip Tuesday #56

In today’s newsletter, you’re going to learn how to navigate the basics of games user experience.

Understanding how to bridge the gap between design intent and user needs for the created artifact can immensely benefit your game design process and you stakeholders. This knowledge empowers designers to make informed decisions and evaluate the intended effect of their decisions. It ultimately enhances the gaming experience for users and can significantly boost the overall success of a game.

Unfortunately, many people underestimate the importance of user research in games or struggle to make actionable progress due to several barriers.

Lack of Domain Knowledge

Often, people don’t fully comprehend the unique nuances and requirements of the gaming industry and its stakeholders. Here are 4 primary reasons development teams tend to falter in game UX design and user experience research:

• Lack of familiarity with gaming : Understanding the language and mechanics of games is vital. You can’t effectively research without engaging in the medium you’re studying. UX practitioners, expert user researchers, UX researchers, and UX teams focused on research and design of games, all ask research questions focused on this relevant product or service. Your background may be in user interfaces, user behaviours, or human-computer interaction (HCI), maybe even gamification, but it’s essential to understand experience design in games.
• Neglecting the emotional aspect of gaming : Unlike usability research for applications where efficiency is key, games require a balance of challenge and enjoyment. Overlooking this can lead to ineffective research.
• Underestimating the importance of designer’s intent : Successful user research in games requires a deep understanding of the designer’s vision and goals. Analytics (or even if you organize content in heat maps) don’t provide insights on game mechanics without this.
• Challenges of the secretive nature of the gaming industry : The highly confidential nature of game development can hinder the application of conventional user research methods.

Worry not, my friend. You can overcome these hurdles in every project and become proficient in user-centered UX practices. Here’s how UX research helps, step by step:

1. Immerse yourself in the world of gaming with user research methods

Understanding the language and mechanics of games is crucial to conducting effective user research. By immersing yourself in the gaming world, you get a firsthand experience of what gamers go through.

For instance, if you’re studying an adventure game, play it. Understand the challenges players face (maybe even collect user feedback, a researcher might use surveymonkey for popular forms, do some qualitative research project or playtests), the rewards they seek, and the journey they undertake. If working with other groups of people playing, ask them questions. This first-hand experience will provide invaluable insights that can be a way to learn and guide your research. Keep in mind that every project is different.

2. User research helps understand the emotional UX aspects of gaming

A common mistake researchers make is treating game UX research like usability testing for web applications. The objective of a game isn’t necessarily efficiency—it’s enjoyment. Wireframes (or even information architecture and card sorting) can help make better game UIs, but interaction design to test assumptions for actual users with different goals is more important to build the right thing.

To help you understand, consider a scenario where a player is battling a dragon in a game. The player might not want to slay the dragon quickly because the process—casting spells, using weapons—is enjoyable (for a range of people). As a researcher, understanding this emotional aspect of gaming is critical to capturing the user’s experience accurately.

3. Develop a UX research plan of the designer’s intent

The key to successful player experience research is understanding the designer’s intent. This understanding is the bridge between design intent (the problem space of design decisions) and the created product or feature.

Let’s take an example: a designer may intentionally create a difficult to find passage in a game to challenge the player. As a user researcher, you may flag this as a problem, thinking players are unable to find it. However, if this difficulty aligns with the designer’s intent, it’s not a problem. Understanding the designer’s intent can help you better identify actual issues that hinder the gaming experience.

By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to conducting effective games user research, improving the gaming experience, and ultimately contributing to the success of the game.

Lennart Nacke, PhD

Hey there, I am a Professor and the Research Director of the HCI Games Group at the University of Waterloo in Canada. I am a world-leading expert on what makes games engaging and how we can use them to improve products, systems, and services. My research is widely discussed and recognized by the New Yorker, Forbes, MIT Technology Review, CTV News, New Scientist, The Daily Mail, PC Gamer Magazine, and elsewhere. I have edited a textbook on Games User Research and authored hundreds of academic articles in gamification, user experience research, human-computer interaction, and game design.

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The Game Plan

In the Project TEAM training, trainees learn a “Game Plan” that they can use to help do activities they want and need to do. The Game Plan has four bases, just like a baseball field. The names of the bases are Goal, Plan, Do, and Check. These bases are each named for a step in the Game Plan.

The bases can help you to remember the steps of the Game Plan and get closer to doing an activity you want to do. Each base has a name, a symbol, a hand motion, and a question to ask. All of these things can help you remember the Game Plan in different ways!

To learn more about the steps of the Game Plan, click on its name or symbol below. Each page will teach you about one step of the Game Plan and show you how to fill out the Game Plan Worksheet based on your own activity goal. You can download the full Game Plan Worksheet now.

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Becoming a confident games user researcher can feel like a long journey….

Starting your games user research journey? Considering a new career? Already working in games?

There are three ways to know if this course is right for you:

You are the start of your career journey You’re ready to apply for roles, but not standing out from the competition, and are wondering why

You already work in UX, but want to move into games You’re looking to apply your skills in a field you can feel passionate about

You work in games, and want to develop professional quality user research skills You’re aware that there are unbiased and scientific ways of testing your game, and want to be able to deploy them in your role

Regardless of your path, the journey can feel punishing – uncertainty about whether you have the right knowledge, how best to apply it to game development, and what you need to know to stand out.

It feels overwhelming.

…but together, we can build INDUSTRY QUALITY RESEARCH SKILLS

Games User Research is a competitive field, because people are passionate about games. It means you can combine academic or industry research expertise, with working on products that people genuinely care deeply about.

Your expertise will make games that players love , and make a positive difference to top titles. And with salaries starting from $64,000 for juniors on the west coast, it’s a career that can grow with you.

get prepared with Games User Research

This course is purpose-built to help you get ready for applying user research skills into the games industry.

Get hands on experience planning, running and analysing games user research and ensure you’re ready for a career in industry.

Be confident deciding when and where to apply research methods throughout the game development process, learn common strategies for games user research , and be able to inspire and influence game teams .

Learn how to apply and adapt your existing skillset , to become a confident and successful games user researcher.

Work with real player data, and gain practical experience that you wouldn’t get from a book.

Ultimately – improve your chances of working in an industry that combines your passion with your professional skills (or just become more valuable in your current role!).

The best place to learn industry-ready games user research

There are many ways to go about learning Games User Research. You can try….

Self learning

❌ Lacking direction

❌ Limited support

❌ High failure rate

Further academic study

❌ Theoretical

❌ Expensive

❌ Not games specific

Online Courses

❌ Cookie cutter

❌ No support

❌ Limited Results

….or, you can try….

GamesUserresearch.com

✅ Industry-leading experience

✅ Self-paced learning

✅ Expert mentoring

✅ Hands-on activities

✅ Supportive community

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Led By Expert Games User Researcher Steve Bromley

I am an experienced user researcher, who has worked in the games industry for over a decade.

I work with publishers, platforms and studios of all sizes from indies to AAA to run playtests, and integrate user research into the game development process. I’ve spent over 25,000 hours with players!

Prior to this I was a senior user researcher for PlayStation and worked on many of their top European titles, including Horizon Zero Dawn, SingStar, the LittleBigPlanet series and the PlayStation VR lineup. I’ve been recognised in the UK as a member of BAFTA.

I regularly lecture at universities, and accelerator courses, and started the IGDA’s Games User Research mentoring scheme, which has linked hundreds of students with industry professionals from top games companies such as Sony, EA, Valve, Ubisoft and Microsoft.

This inspired my bestselling book How To Be A Games User Researcher which shares the expertise needed to work in the games industry, and has over 50 5-star reviews on Amazon.

I created this course to help people take confident steps into the games industry, and find a career they can feel passionate about.

Who IS THIS COURSE FOR?

Hear from games user research alumni

The course was exactly what I wanted… full of hands on projects – not only honing my skills but boosting my confidence in interviews.

Everything I learned in the course became fundamental in my job.

View Tiffany’s full video testimony

I was in a work slump, and wanted to learn something new to get a new career…

It opened my eyes on UX research, and my own approach to video games.

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As a professional designer… I wanted to learn about the unique needs for games user research.

This was eye-opening, and this knowledge will help me in my career.

View Murathan’s full video testimony

I’ve been teaching market and user research for twenty years now… and wanted to learn more about research in the games industry.

Steve has developed a fantastic course to practice the skills you’ll need, and connect you to a community of professionals. I would give this course the highest of recommendations.

View Pat’s full video testimony

I got a part-time job from what I learned in this course!

‌I used the knowledge and the research template from the course to research the demo of a Chinese mobile game, which impressed the producer of the game. He shared my research with their team and they invited me to join them!

As a student just graduated from the university last month, this is a super exciting surprise and a new way to open my game career.

Making the transition from mainstream user research into games hasn’t been easy and I have had a lot of rejection along the way. I have finally started getting interviews and getting to the final stage of interviews.

I owe a huge thank you to Steve. His book ‘How to be a Games User Researcher’ was so helpful and practical.

Following his guidance in his book and taking his course helped me to land some freelance work with a major studio.

He was available for questions and even has office hours where I was able to get feedback on my portfolio and CV – helping me land an interview at my dream company.

Steve helped me find an opportunity to work with an indie studio. They were looking for someone to help with conducting user research for their prototypes.

I applied what I learned from Steve’s course and performed different user research activities – from formulating research objectives and deciding what types of questions to include in the survey to analyzing the player feedback for actionable insights.

This was a great experience for me to practice the skills I learned and get a sense of what it’s like working in games user research.

I’m super grateful for Steve’s support and highly recommend checking out his plethora of resources for getting into games user research. Thanks again, Steve!

What you will learn

(Not just theory – practical activities will let you practice these skills throughout using real playtest data !)

🧱 How Games Get Made – The game production process, and how UX research integrates to have an impact

🔬 User Research Methods – Popular research methods, and when to deploy them

👩‍🔬 Qualitative User Research – Run a complete study, including code screening, designing the study, moderating, analysis and debriefing your first user research study.

📊 Quantitative User Research – Design and analyse a survey, working with real player data.

💼 Career Skills – Access powerful techniques for making a career in games, including how to design your CV, and succeed when applying for jobs.

➕ Regular guest lectures, deep diving on 🔥 topics such as statistics, VR testing, accessibility, interview skills and more…

Its dangerous to go alone…

…luckily you won’t have to.

Alongside the self-paced course, you will have access to a supportive community of game professionals, and people looking to progress into game development.

Join the community discord for live Q&As, regular guest speakers, feedback on your progress, job opportunities, and support on your journey.

Affordable, straightforward pricing

Career development.

• Learn Games User Research at your own pace
• Qualitative & quantitative methods
• Work with real playtest data
• Supportive community
• Bonus industry guest lessons
• Bonus Pokemon Unite Playtest data

Professional

• Everything in Career Development, PLUS…
• The Playtest Kit – every template and process needed to set up a high impact research team (worth $219)
• 1:1 Consultation – a 60 minute consultation with Steve Bromley, to help establish user research in your team (worth $250)

The guarantee

I care more about advocating for good research and helping you develop your skills than taking your money. Developing a career in games user research takes perseverance, and is a long-term commitment.

I’m confident this course will equip you with industry-appropriate research skills, but if you DO NOT feel more prepared for running games user research 90 days after you begin doing the work, I will try to work with you to identify what’s missing. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll give you a full refund.

This year, I’ve made two versions of the course. Both will equip you with the skills required to start running industry-quality qualitative and quantitative research.

The Career Development tier is most relevant for people who are hoping to move into the games industry from studying, or a user research role in another sector, and will help you convert your skills and become industry ready.

The Professional tier is designed for people already working in the games industry, and includes the Playtest Kit, which has all of the processes and templates needed to establish a user research function – as well as some time with Steve to answer your questions, and help overcome any tricky user research issues.

This is a self-paced course, and you can choose to go as slow or fast as you want!

If you’re just starting out, it will take longer than someone who has already run user research in another sector.

There are 60+ lessons, and lengths vary but expect to spend on average 10 to 30 minutes on each lesson, and approximately an hour on each of the activities (there are approximately 10 of them!).

The bonus activity – analysing a full playtest, is a longer term commitment, and will take a few days.

(Then stick with the community for bonus lessons, guest speakers, and more opportunities to develop your career)

I’m confident in saying Yes! The average student score from previous versions is 4.7 out of 5, and this new version has a huge amount of additional content.

I also wrote the bestselling book  How To Be A Games User Researcher , which has over 50 5* ratings on Amazon – so you can be confident you’re in safe hands.

Nope – we work with free web-based software, such as Google Suite.

That’s ok – contact Steve using the contact form in the top navigation, and he will answer it!

Dont miss out. Get on the waitlist!

The Winter 2024 cohort is now closed. Enter your info below to join the mailing list and hear when our next cohort will run later in 2024.

the importance of a good research plan

Have you ever embarked on a research project and found yourself struggling to stay on track, or feeling lost and unsure of what to do next? A research plan can help you avoid these challenges and ensure that your research project is a success.

In this article, we'll dive into the key features of a research plan, and outline the steps you can take to create one for your research project. Whether you're a student, researcher, or professional, you'll learn what is the importance of having a research plan and how to make one that will help you achieve your research goals.

What is a Research Plan in a Project Management?

A research plan in project management can be thought of as a blueprint for the research that will be done as part of the project. Essentially, it's a roadmap that outlines everything from the background of the project to the methods and techniques that will be used, to the timeline and resources required to carry out the research.

At its core, the purpose of a research plan is to make sure the research is organized, and systematic and contributes to the overall success of the project.

What are the 5 purposes of research?

Research is at the heart of human progress, and it serves a variety of purposes. Here are five key reasons why research is essential:

Knowledge Expansion

Research helps us better understand the world around us, uncovering new information and deepening our understanding of existing knowledge.

Problem Solving

Through research, we can identify the root causes of complex issues and develop innovative solutions to tackle them.

Policy Development

Research findings inform evidence-based policymaking, ensuring that decisions are grounded in data and best practices.

Technological Advancements

Scientific research paves the way for groundbreaking inventions and technological advancements that shape our lives.

Skill Development

The research process hones critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, which are essential in today's fast-paced, ever-changing world.

What are the methods of research?

Various research methods are available to choose from, depending on your research question and objectives. Here are a few common methods:

Qualitative Research

This method focuses on exploring human experiences and understanding the meanings people attach to their actions or surroundings. It often involves interviews, focus groups, and observations.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research seeks to quantify data and analyze relationships between variables using statistical methods. Surveys, experiments, and numerical data analysis are common in this approach.

Mixed Methods

This approach combines both qualitative and quantitative methods, capitalizing on the strengths of each to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a research question.

Experimental Research

In this method, researchers manipulate one or more independent variables to observe their effect on a dependent variable, allowing for causal inferences.

Case Studies

Case studies involve an in-depth examination of a specific situation or example, offering rich insights into the complexities of real-world phenomena.

When selecting your research method, consider the goals and context of your study. Keep in mind that the choice of method can significantly impact the outcomes and conclusions drawn from your research.

What goes into a research plan?

Here are some of the key components you might expect to see in a research plan:

1.       Background: This section gives a brief overview of what the project is all about and why the research is being done.

2.      Objectives: Here, you'll find the clear and specific goals for the research, along with the questions that will be answered and the outcomes that are expected.

3.    Methods: This section lays out the different methods that will be used to gather information, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or experiments.

4.      Participants: You'll learn about the people who will be included in the research, along with the criteria for choosing them and how many participants there will be.

5.       Data collection: This section provides a detailed plan for how the data will be gathered, including the tools that will be used and the procedures for collecting and storing the information.

6.    Data analysis: Here, you'll find the plan for analyzing the data and what statistical methods will be used to do so.

7.       Timelines: This section outlines the schedule for carrying out the research, with deadlines for each step of the process.

8.      Budget: This part provides an estimate of the resources that will be required, including personnel, equipment, and materials.

9.       Ethical considerations: This section addresses important ethical issues, such as informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection.

Overall, a well-designed research plan is an essential part of successful project management, helping to minimize risk and reduce the chances of errors or delays.

Research Plan Features

Conducting a study can be compared to planning a road trip with your friends. Just like a well-planned road trip, a successful study requires a solid research plan. A research plan acts as a roadmap that guides you through the entire process, from start to finish, to ensure a successful outcome.

A study can have unexpected challenges and obstacles. For example, you may encounter bad weather or road closures on your trip. In a study, you may encounter unexpected challenges, like missing data or a lack of participants. But, with a well-planned research plan, you'll be prepared to handle these challenges and keep moving forward toward your destination.

Just like reaching your destination on a road trip, a successful study requires patience and persistence. You may encounter detours and delays, but with a clear roadmap, you'll be able to reach your destination. In a study, you may encounter setbacks, but with a solid research plan, you'll be able to overcome these challenges and achieve a successful outcome.

Here are some of the key features you need to include in your research plan:

Feature 1: Objectives and Goals - The Destination

Your research objectives and goals are like the destination you're trying to reach on your road trip. Just as you need to know where you're headed, your research plan should clearly define what you hope to achieve through your study. This includes defining the questions you want to answer, the outcomes you expect to see, and the impact you aim to have.

For example, if you're studying the effects of a new drug on patients with a specific illness, your objectives and goals might be to determine the drug's effectiveness and safety.

Feature 2: Methodology - The Route

Your methodology outlines the methods and techniques you'll use to conduct your study, just like choosing the best route for your road trip. This includes the study design, sample size, data collection methods, and analysis techniques. The methodology should be chosen based on your research question, available resources , and limitations of your study.

For example, if you're studying the impact of a new teaching method on student performance, your methodology might include conducting a randomized control trial to compare the new method to traditional teaching methods.

Feature 3: Timelines and Budgets - The Map

Your timelines and budgets act as the map you'll use to plan your road trip. Your research plan should include a schedule of when each aspect of your study will be completed and the resources you'll need to complete the project. These should be realistic and achievable, allowing for contingencies in case of unexpected events.

For example, if you're conducting a study on the effects of a new environmental policy on air quality, your timeline might include conducting air quality tests before and after the policy is implemented, and your budget might include the cost of the tests, equipment, and labor.

How to Write a Research Plan

Writing a research plan can seem overwhelming, especially if you're just starting. But trust me, having a solid plan in place will make the whole research process a lot smoother. A research plan is just a roadmap for your research project - it outlines your goals, the methods you'll use to achieve them, and the timeline for getting everything done.

So, where do you even begin with creating a research plan? Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Step 1: Find Your Focus - Define the Research Question

Before you dive into any research project, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. The first step is to define the research question - this will serve as the cornerstone of your project. When formulating your research question, think about the problem you want to solve and how you want to approach it. It's important to make sure your research question is relevant, feasible, and aligns with the overall goals of your project.

Example: If you're interested in exploring the impact of social media on mental health, your research question could be "How does social media usage affect the mental well-being of young adults?"

Step 2: Get to Know the Literature - Review the Literature

Next, you'll want to familiarize yourself with what's already out there on your topic. This is where the literature review comes in - it will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what's already known and what still needs to be explored. The literature review involves searching academic journals, books, and other sources for information on your topic. By the end of this step, you'll have a solid foundation of knowledge and a better idea of the gaps in the existing knowledge that your research project will fill.

Example: If your research question is about the impact of social media on mental health, you could search for articles and studies that have looked at the relationship between social media usage and mental well-being.

Step 3: Plan Your Attack - Develop the Methodology

Now that you have a good understanding of your topic and what's already out there, it's time to develop a plan for your research project. This is where you'll decide on the research design, sample size, data collection methods, and analysis techniques that will best address your research question. Your methodology should be based on the literature review and should be feasible, ethical, and reliable.

Example: If you're exploring the impact of social media on mental health, you could use a survey to gather data from young adults on their social media usage and mental well-being. You could also use statistical analysis to identify patterns and relationships between these variables.

Step 4: Get Organized - Prepare the Timeline and Budget

Finally, it's time to put all the pieces together and prepare a timeline and budget for your research project. This involves estimating the resources you'll need for each aspect of your project and creating a schedule for completing it. When developing your timeline and budget, it's important to be realistic, achievable, and flexible. Make sure to allow for unexpected events and contingencies.

Example: If you're exploring the impact of social media on mental health, your timeline could include steps like designing the survey, recruiting participants, collecting and analyzing data, and writing up the results. Your budget could include the cost of survey software, printing, and any other resources you'll need to complete the project.

How do you write a research plan on Edworking?

We understand the importance of a good research plan and how it can make or break your work. But where to begin? Enter Edworking, the all-in-one productivity platform that makes planning and executing research projects a breeze. In this article, we'll guide you on how to write a research plan on Edworking while providing helpful resources to empower you throughout the process.

Define your research objective

Before diving headfirst into the sea of research, it's essential to know your destination. What do you want to achieve with your research? By defining clear objectives, you'll be able to stay focused and streamline your efforts. Use Edworking's task management feature to create tasks and milestones for your objectives, keeping your research plan on track.

Identify your research questions

Once you've set your objectives, it's time to dig deeper. What are the burning questions that need answers? Listing these questions will help you stay on course and ensure you're gathering the right information. Try using the Stories feature in Edworking to share your questions with your team, encouraging open discussion and collaboration.

Outline your methodology

In the world of research, methodology is king. Decide which methods you'll use to collect and analyze data, and consider the ethical implications of your choices. Will you conduct interviews, surveys, or observe from afar? With Edworking's workspace, you can document your methodology in real-time, collaborate with your team, and even publish it as a blog.

Allocate resources and set a timeline

A good research plan needs a realistic timeline and proper resource allocation. Estimate how long each task will take, and assign resources accordingly. Edworking's task management tool lets you assign tasks to team members, track progress, and communicate updates seamlessly.

Monitor and adjust your research plan

Life is full of surprises, and your research plan is no exception. Keep an eye on your progress, and be ready to adapt to new information or unexpected obstacles. By using Edworking's integrated communication tools, you'll be able to pivot and make adjustments in real time, ensuring your research plan stays on course.

In conclusion, writing a research plan on Edworking is a walk in the park when you follow these steps. The platform's integrated features provide everything you need to create, manage, and execute your research plans, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: the success of your project. So, why wait? Sign up for a free demo on Edworking today and bring your research plans to life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article on the importance of a good research plan. I hope you found it informative and helpful in your research journey. Remember, a solid research plan is the key to a successful research project and can make all the difference in achieving your goals and objectives.

If you're looking for a tool to help you create a research plan that's both well-structured and effective, I highly recommend checking out Edworking . This online platform provides you with all the tools you need to create a comprehensive research plan. With Edworking, you'll be able to streamline the research planning process and ensure that your project is a success. So why not give it a try today and see how it can help you reach your research destination with ease and confidence!

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How Gamification Can Boost Employee Engagement

• Adrian R. Camilleri
• Ananta Neelim

Research on what works — and what to avoid.

Employee disengagement is a persistent problem, and attempts to inject excitement often fall flat. However, gamification — using elements of games to motivate — has serious potential when thoughtfully executed. This article explores the psychology behind gamification, successful examples, and how to leverage probabilistic rewards (like lotteries tied to performance) to increase employee motivation.

A core responsibility of every manager is to motivate and engage their employees. This is because disengaged employees show lower productivity and exhibit higher absenteeism. Traditional approaches to increasing employee engagement include giving workers more  autonomy , a higher sense of  belonging and purpose , and  additional growth opportunities . Nevertheless, employee disengagement in the workplace hit a nine-year high in 2022 in the U.S. ,  with approximately three-fourths of employees reporting being disengaged.

• AC Adrian Camilleri is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Business School. He uses experimental and survey research methods to understand, explain, and predict the cognitive processes underlying judgment and decision-making, and the application of this knowledge to environmental, financial, managerial, and consumption contexts.
• AN Ananta Neelim is a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Tasmania. His research specializes in employing behavioral economics to understand and tackle issues of diversity, discrimination, and workplace productivity.

Partner Center

The Kindeman Remedy

Description

Doctor Carl Kindeman has lost everything. Scorned and hated by the entire medical community for his “questionable” methods, he accepted a miserable job in an appalling prison. But that is all part of the plan. Here, he will restore his lost reputation. Here, no one will notice his experiments. Be the Monster Doctor Kindeman would do anything to restore his reputation. Anything. Do with the inmates as you please. Let them die screaming on the electric chair, or save them...only to use them for your research afterward. Melt their bones, burn their intestines, or simply maul them to death: you are a genius, and they are just your guinea pigs. It feels good to be bad...but do you have the stomach for it? Physician, manage Thy Lab Being an evil doctor is hard work: upgrade and use eight different rooms, manage your resources, play with poisons, drugs, and hazardous substances, and conduct secret experiments. It is a lot to handle, but you are not alone. Sister Anna is there for you. Always. And always ready to do just what the doctor ordered. A Story-Driven Madness with Multiple Endings A dark story populated with complex characters adds depth to this gut-wrenching experience, raising disturbing moral questions and showing us the other side of evil: humanity. Multiple endings and unlockable events make the game replayable, leaving the destiny of Anna and Carl in the player’s hands. Whether they fail or triumph is up to you. Endless Mode Science cannot be stopped! The Endless Mode is here for those who love a real challenge. Perform all your malicious deeds to complete different objectives while avoiding Mr. Black's ever-guarding eyes. Choose the optimal timing to administer poison pills and drips and to use the Secret Room. Be careful: one misstep and you are done for good!

Published by

Developed by, playable on.

• Xbox Series X|S

Capabilities

• Single player
• Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
• Smart Delivery
• Xbox achievements
• Xbox cloud saves

• Home Safety

This Device Saved My House From an Electrical Fire. And You Might Be Able to Get It for Free.

I was in my car, miles from home, when a panicky phone alert shook me out of my NPR haze: An electrical fire hazard had been detected at my house. Immediately I called my wife, who told me the house wasn’t burning. Then I called the number in the alert to determine what it was all about.

The alert came from Ting , an electricity-monitoring service whose device I’d plugged into an outlet a few weeks earlier and almost forgotten about. The Ting agent who answered my call calmed me down a little but also assured me that the device had detected a serious fire hazard. He even told me where the hazard was located and said I should call my utility company right away.

The next morning I had a visit from my electric company. The electrician gave me a skeptical harrumph when I showed him the information on the Ting smartphone app, but he inspected the issue anyway. About 20 minutes later he came back to me, quite surprised, and confirmed that the Ting Sensor had indeed found a big problem. A team returned that day to put a temporary fix on it, and over the next several weeks, contractors dug up my front yard to replace the main power line, at no expense to me.

Ting by Whisker Labs

Electrical fire protection.

This easy-to-use (and frequently free) device monitors your home for electrical fire hazards and gives you more peace of mind.

Buying Options

What is ting, and what does it do.

The Ting Sensor is a device about the size of a smart plug or baby monitor. Once you plug it into a wall outlet, connect it to Wi-Fi, and set it up with the accompanying app, it goes into a learning mode for about a week, where it monitors your home to establish a baseline of electrical activity.

After that it starts looking for fire hazards in the form of electrical arcs, which happen when electricity jumps from one place to another when it isn’t supposed to. Arcs are a leading cause of home electrical fires and can develop in overloaded outlets, in damaged or old wiring, in lamps or light switches, or even (as in my case) in the main connection to your house. Just like other things in your home, components of your electrical system can age and wear out over time from normal use.

After the electric company resolved my incident, I talked to Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, the maker of the Ting Sensor. He said that each electrical problem has a unique signature, which the Ting Sensor is designed to detect. For instance, an arc caused by a malfunctioning electric blanket looks different to the Ting Sensor than an arc caused by a faulty neutral connection.

The Ting Sensor takes 30 million measurements a second, looking for anomalies. When it identifies a problem it recognizes, the owner receives an alert through the Ting app that provides advice on what to do. Depending on the issue, a live member of the company’s Fire Safety Team may contact you to walk you through whatever remediation steps might be required.

In addition, if Ting finds a problem, the company will coordinate service by a licensed electrician and cover costs to remedy the problem up to $1,000. In my case, since the problem was the electrical connection to my home, the power company did the work at its own cost.

The simple Ting app features a main view showing your home’s electrical health in the form of a real-time voltage meter—sort of like taking your blood pressure. It tells you whether your home’s voltage is within normal range (the target is 120 volts, but between 108 V and 132 V is considered normal). Voltages outside that range, particularly for long periods, can damage appliances and may be an indication of a fire hazard. The app also shows any notifications from Ting and a history of readings and notifications. That’s about it. For most people, if your electrical system is working properly, you never have to look at the app.

In my case, I started getting readings outside the normal voltage range right away, and almost every day I received a notification, but it took a few weeks for Ting to analyze the pattern and discern what the problem was. Small dips and surges aren’t totally unusual, and I had noticed flickering lights in my house for a while (and ignored them).

What Ting doesn’t do

The Ting Sensor isn’t a smoke alarm or a replacement for one. If you knock over a candle or start a cooking fire, it won’t sound an alarm or send an alert to the fire department. Its purpose is to notify you about problems that have the potential start a fire, not to let you know about fires currently in progress. You still need multiple smoke detectors around your home, and we highly recommend a smart smoke detector .

If you live in an apartment, you can use Ting only if your unit has its own utility meter. If you’re not sure, consult with your building’s management.

Ting doesn’t integrate with other smart-home platforms such as Alexa or HomeKit; if you have a lot of smart-home devices and like to group them in one app, keep in mind that you still need the Ting app too. Because you interact with Ting only when the sensor detects a problem, there really isn’t much reason to integrate it with other systems anyway. The Ting Sensor doesn’t have a built-in alarm and can’t integrate with one, so the only way to get notifications is via your smartphone.

Although the device does monitor your electrical system, it doesn’t monitor energy usage, so it can’t tell you, say, that your aging fridge is using too much electricity or that other members of your household never turn the lights off . It also can’t turn your power off if it senses an immediate problem.

Another thing that isn’t a dealbreaker but is something to consider if you don’t have a lot of outlets in your home: The Ting Sensor is large enough to cover both receptacles in an outlet, so you can’t plug a lamp or something else in the same place.

How you can get one

I received my Ting Sensor the way most people do: for free from my homeowner’s insurance provider. My insurer sent me a few emails offering the device plus the monitoring service at no cost. Ting partners with insurers including Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Pure, and State Farm to offer the devices to customers.

Insurance companies aren’t doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. Prevention is cheaper than rebuilding; the up-front costs are much less than paying out an insurance claim. This business model is similar to how most insurance companies are willing to pay toward the cost of a home security system.

Customers of Pure and State Farm can go to this page on the Ting site to get the device and enroll in the monitoring service. Liberty Mutual and Nationwide customers should contact their agent.

If your insurance company doesn’t offer Ting, you can buy the Ting Sensor directly from the manufacturer for $100, which includes one year of monitoring. After that, monitoring requires a $50 annual fee.

Privacy and security snapshot

• Whisker Labs requires a unique username and password but does not support two-factor authentication except during initial product registration.
• Whisker Labs may collect personal information, such as your name, address, email address, and phone number, which it requires to contact you in the event of a fire hazard.
• The company says that data is stored in a secure cloud environment and fully encrypted, and that access is monitored and limited to key personnel.
• Customer data is not shared with or sold to third parties.
• For more, view Whisker Labs’s privacy policy .

This article was edited by Jon Chase.

Meet your guide

Grant Clauser

Senior Editor

Grant Clauser is the senior editor for the smart-home and audio/video categories. He has been reporting on technology since 1999 and has been an invited speaker at events including CES and CEDIA. He has completed certification classes from THX, ISF, and Control4. He also teaches poetry classes. Really.

Further reading

The Best Smart Home Devices to Help Aging in Place

by Rachel Cericola

Smart-home devices can make it easier for you to help an older loved one age safely and securely in their own home.

The Best Smart Thermostat

by Roy Furchgott

Smart thermostats like our pick, the Ecobee Premium , can make your home’s HVAC more energy efficient without sacrificing your comfort.

The Best Smart Water-Leak Detector

A smart water-leak detector can alert you to small plumbing leaks before they turn into big, expensive nightmares.

The Best Emergency Preparedness Supplies

by Ellen Airhart

After hundreds of hours of research, we narrowed down the items that could prove indispensable in a natural disaster—and most are helpful in everyday life, too.

Bucks won’t have Lillard, Middleton or Beverley available for Wednesday’s game against Grizzlies

The Associated Press

April 3, 2024, 2:22 PM

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard will miss a third straight game and Khris Middleton and Patrick Beverley also won’t be available Wednesday night when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Bucks issued an injury report Wednesday afternoon that ruled out all three players. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is probable as he deals with an issue in his left hamstring.

Milwaukee is playing for a second straight night after losing 117-113 at Washington on Tuesday. Beverley sprained his right ankle during that game.

Lillard is still recovering from a right groin strain that also caused him to miss the Wizards game after he sat out of a 122-113 victory at Atlanta on Saturday for personal reasons. The Bucks have gone just 1-6 in the games that the seven-time all-NBA guard has missed.

Middleton won’t play Wednesday because the Bucks are continuing to monitor the progress of his ankle. The three-time All-Star missed 16 games with a sprained left ankle before returning in mid-March.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Filed under:

• Women's College Basketball
• March Madness

Kim Mulkey’s awful game plan vs. Caitlin Clark is the reason LSU’s season is over

Caitlin Clark kept torching LSU, and Kim Mulkey refused to adjust.

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Kim Mulkey’s twisted worldview is easy to criticize . Her coaching acumen is not. The 61-year-old has built one of the greatest head coaching resumes in college basketball history since accepting the Baylor job in 2000: she has four national championships, five Final Four appearances, three AP College Basketball Coach of the Year awards and more than 700 career wins.

By any definition, Mulkey is one of the greatest college basketball coaches of this generation in either the men’s or women’s game. She also absolutely blew it in what may go down as the most anticipated game of her career: a seismic rematch of the 2023 national championship game between her LSU Tigers and Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the 2024 women’s NCAA tournament.

Iowa beat LSU, 94-87, behind another stunning performance from Clark. The superstar guard finished with 41 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds in the win, draining 9-of-20 shots from three-point range.

It is nearly impossible to stop Clark when she’s playing her best, and this game was the ultimate showcase of her breathtaking talent. From the opening minutes, she was hitting deep pull-up three-pointers, throwing perfect hit-ahead passes to spark the Hawkeyes’ transition offense, and slicing and dicing the LSU defense with her live dribble passing.

This was arguably the greatest college player of all-time completely locked in for a game she waited a full year for. It’s possible no one could have stopped her on Monday night, but one thing is for sure: Mulkey’s rigid, galaxy brain game-plan ensured that Clark was never going to be truly challenged.

While Clark is a supernova of historic proportions, the undeniable truth of the Iowa-LSU rematch is that the Tigers had the size and athleticism advantage all over the court. There was only one player on the floor for LSU who lacked great length and foot speed: guard Hailey Van Lith, who transferred into the program from Louisville over the offseason as one of the most high-profile players in the sport.

For whatever reason, Mulkey decided to have Van Lith defend Clark all night. She decided not to trap Clark in ball screens or throw double teams at her. She decided to have her bigs play drop coverage and leave pull-up three-pointers wide open. To put it another way, Mulkey decided to let Clark ‘get hers’ and make sure the rest of the Hawkeyes didn’t beat LSU. It was incredibly foolish.

Caitlin magic. LSU is bigger and more athletic at basically every position, but Hailey Van Lith is not long enough to challenge these pull-ups. Clark will shoot over her all day. pic.twitter.com/VlImmnUQD9 — Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) April 2, 2024

Part of being a high-level coach in a single-elimination tournament is adjusting when your initial strategy isn’t working. Mulkey refused to do it until it was too late.

Mulkey could have thrown burgeoning sophomore star Flau’jae Johnson at Clark defensively. She probably didn’t want to do that so Johnson didn’t waste too much energy on defense, because LSU also relied heavily on her offensive contributions (she finished with a team-high 23 points in the win). Mulkey could have switched up her coverages earlier even if she wanted to stick with Van Lith, altering her deep drop for more aggressive blitzes to get the rock out of Clark’s hands.

Instead, she stuck with the same defensive blueprint the entire way. Clark kept torching it.

Kim Mulkey, are you alive? Are you watching this? Unreal to just let HVL get cooked again, again, and again. Might want to try to get the ball out of Caitlin Clark's hands. Might not want to stick with your smallest defender on her. pic.twitter.com/r6neRxbSd7 — Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) April 2, 2024

Van Lith was never going to have the length to challenge Clark’s shots. The 6-foot Clark just shot right over the top of her. At 5’6, Van Lith was the smallest player on the court, and she had the toughest assignment in the basketball world on Monday night. With the bigs staying back, she really had no chance.

These shots are too easy for the greatest shooter the college women’s game has ever seen.

In fairness, Clark was so in the zone that it might not have mattered what LSU did. She ripped this one over 5’11 guard Last-Tear Poa without a problem:

Caitlin Clark vs. the world. I'm taking Caitlin. pic.twitter.com/owSxuQ0llm — Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) April 2, 2024

Clark has the same unrelenting competitive spirit that once fueled Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The Hawkeyes national title game loss to LSU last season haunted her throughout the summer and informed her meteoric senior year. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where she was losing this game.

Of course, basketball is a team sport. If Iowa had the best player, it felt like LSU may have had the second, third, and fourth best players on the floor. In fairness, the rest of the Hawkeyes played extremely well in this game, with Kate Martin scoring 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and Sydney Affolter finishing with 16 points. Hannah Stuelke held up in the middle against Angel Reese and Co. with eight points and five rebounds. It didn’t help LSU that Reese suffered an ankle injury in the first half and didn’t look 100 percent physically the rest of the game despite returning.

Still, Mulkey built an LSU roster that was loaded with talent, but felt like it underachieved this season. Obviously, Mulkey knows way more ball than me or anyone else criticizing her game plan against Iowa. Mulkey just doesn’t do herself any favors with the way she carries herself. Fans on Twitter were delighted to see Mulkey hold the L.

Kim Mulkey drew up a better defense for the Washington Post than she did for Caitlin Clark — cbr™️ (@cbenjaminrucker) April 2, 2024

Kim Mulkey suffering brings me the same joy that Coach K losing used to. The Women’s game is HERE — Kev | Stop Genocides Worldwide (@NBACouchside) April 2, 2024

I will go to my deathbed believing Kim Mulkey left Hailey Van Lith out there to teach her a lesson about something. — kang (@jaycaspiankang) April 2, 2024

Kim Mulkey keeping the ball in Van Lith’s hands and having her guard Clark with no blitzes or doubles is inexcusable. She’s gonna have to deal with a lot of questions from fake news media for a while now — David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) April 2, 2024

Van Lith didn’t deserve to be put in that position , especially with rumors that she was fighting an illness coming into the game. Van Lith is an excellent player, but sometimes you are just too small to guard the apex predator in your sport one-on-one. Sometimes, you need help. Mulkey refused to send any, and the Tigers season is over in part because of it.

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