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💡Orientation: what is the topic about?

You primarily explore your research to expand your knowledge and see if there's already a lot of information available on your topic.

This phase is important for several reasons:

  • This will help you explore what you already know about the topic.
  • What else do you want to learn? It will help you narrow down your topic.
  • You'll become familiar with commonly used terminology within your topic (this is important for determining your search terms).

Before you get started, ask yourself a few questions.

  • What is the context in which you are seeking information?
    Are you working on a large research project or do you need to look something up for an internship?
  • What are the learning objectives for the assignment?
    Is the goal to conduct a thorough (literature) review or is it simply to familiarize yourself with a topic?
  • What will you be assessed on? What requirements are there for your research?
    This could include, for example, requirements for the use of sources.
  • What is your target audience [if publication is the goal]?
    Are you writing for academics or high school students? Are they peers or not?
  • How detailed should your report be?
    Are you working on a paper of a few pages or a comprehensive bachelor's thesis?
  • How much time and what resources do you have?
    Do you have to submit a report within three weeks or do you have three months? What sources do you have access to?

AI tools and applications

General AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be useful for clarifying complex terms or concepts, or for defining selection criteria. You can also ask about interesting topics within a specific field of research to gain inspiration.

Step-by-step plan