5 Tips for Successful Research Projects
February 3, 2010
Research projects take time to complete and when they’re done properly they can harvest a mountain of profitable information. Do you know what to expect if you’re the person requesting the research? What about when you’re the VA doing the research? Would you know what you need to do in order to provide your client with solid research project results? Here are 5 tips to use for successful research.
1. Make sure you understand the topic.
Even after the topic has been discussed you may need to familiarize yourself on what it is you are researching to ensure a full understanding. Sometimes you may be asked to research something that you have no prior knowledge of. It is helpful to ask the client for an outline of their research parameters.
2. Be clear on the expected format of the final report and what the research is being used for.
It’s important to know what kind of report is expected. Is it data that needs to be compiled into an Excel spreadsheet? Or perhaps the client is using it as part of their presentation and it will be publicly distributed therefore requiring a formal written report. Or maybe they just need a list of url’s where they can sift through the information. If you know ahead of time it makes your research easier as you’ll know what pieces of information you’ll need to collect along the way such as url’s, resources etc.
3. Know the best way to contact the client for key questions that may arise during research.
Good research always creates questions. You may come across a vein of information that you think could be applicable however before using billable time on it you should double check with the client first. Knowing a sure way to contact the client during your research process is important.
4. Obtain information from client that they already possess on the subject.
It’s always a good rule of thumb to obtain any information that the client may already have on the subject. There’s no point in doing the research twice!
5. Use different search terms.
Always try different search terms for the subject you’re researching. There’s usually more than one description for different subjects and it can add a whole lot more information to your research. If the sites you’re looking on have a search tool use it as well. Use terms that you come across in your research. For example there may be an acronym used to refer to the subject in an article.
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