Choose a question you can investigate
A topic names an area; a research question defines a task. “Online education” is an area. A comparison of how two specified courses provide assignment feedback is a possible task. Decide what you want to understand, why it matters and what evidence could change your current expectation. Avoid making the question so broad that every possible result appears relevant.
Match the method to the evidence
Identify the material you need and whether you can access it responsibly. Interviews, documents, experiments and existing datasets answer different kinds of questions. Explain why your proposed method can address your question and what it cannot establish. If people or sensitive information are involved, discuss ethics and permissions with the relevant supervisor before collecting data.
Bound the contribution
State the period, setting and cases you will include. A feasible small study can make a clearer contribution than an unmanageable claim to explain an entire field. End with a realistic work plan and the specific uncertainty your study will address. Then check the target institution’s proposal requirements; length, structure and expectations vary, and this guide does not replace them.
