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| I have difficulty finding good sources (A6, A13, A14). Not being able to find good sources for your research project may be the result of: • Not performing a feasibility study; or A feasibility study is meant to determine the ‘researchability’ of a research project. Its most important aim is – in a relatively short period of time – to reveal the kind of (re)sources available and how difficult/easy it is to use them. If you fail to perform a feasibility study at the start of your research project, you may find that your research fails as data is not available (at least not within the time frame available). Consult Skill Sheet A6 to learn more about what types of (re)sources might be at your disposition and how to determine whether your research project will be feasible. The rise of the Internet and online databases has significantly improved access to information. To have access to information, however, does not mean that it is easy to find the relevant information. A three-step search strategy may help you. Step 1: Orientation In the first phase of a research project you can use existing literature to see your research ‘through the eyes’ of previous researchers. Diverse types of data-bases are available to help you in your literature search: encyclopedia, introductions and textbooks. ‘To Google around’ can be useful in this phase, but do so with a critical attitude (A14, A15). Step 2: Define Qualitative Keywords Qualitative online databases offer the possibility – through using keywords – to identify whether a research project is relevant and feasible. Define a hierarchy of important keywords and synonyms. If you start and the number of ‘hits’ is big, you know you are in a very topical research area. Read a few key articles that you have found, and then come up with perhaps other synonyms that you see are relevant for your particular research project. Step 3: Define Quantitative Challenges Whether you use quantitative data in your research project depends first on the nature of your question, but also on the availability and reliability of quantitative databases. If sufficiently reliable and proficient data exist on a topic, try to include that in your research.
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