Five Key Research Tools to Assist on Research

FIVE KEY RESEARCH TOOLS TO ASSIST ON RESEARCH

Five research tools that would assist in working on research idea (Lewis, 2001: 22-26)

1. Brainstorming: Brainstorming can be an effective way to generate lots of ideas on a specific issue and then determine which idea – or ideas – is the best solution. Brainstorming is used for generating ideas or suggestions, using a small group of four to seven people in a room on their own. A brainstorming session requires a facilitator, a brainstorming space and something on which to write ideas, such as a white-board a flip chart or software tool. The facilitator's responsibilities include guiding the session, encouraging participation and writing ideas down.

2. Brainwriting: It involves a group of five to eight participants around a table where a group leader will present a problem. A problem statement is written where everyone can see it. The group then discusses a problem to make sure that all participants understand it. A pool is created and everyone write four ideas, then participants take the sheet out of the pool and add ideas or comments to it. This process takes 20-30 minutes and then it terminates. The idea sheets are then collected in for later evaluation.

3. Five Ws and H-basic questions: These six words, Who? Why? What? Where? When? and How? are the basic questions used for generating or getting information in a systematic way to gather main facts of the topic. They have many potential uses, and can often be used to enrich other technique which includes brainstorming or brainwriting activity, as a source of questions to help build on existing ideas.

4. Evaluation of ideas: highlighting: The technique use to narrow down large group of ideas generated by technique such as brainstorming. Having a large list of ideas, one would simply sort them into clusters or ideas that seem to be related, pull any that seem interesting

5. Wishing (the ideal project): wishes are normally for changes, this...