4.5 Implementing an Individual Research Plan

Depending on the details of the research plan, the mentor and mentee have various ways to implement it. A research project proposes questions to be explored. In many cases, the research plan includes the following four components:

• Literature Reading;
• Information Gathering;
• Research Analysis; and
• Conclusion and Summary

Literature Reading

At the beginning of the research project, mentees need to do a general study of the topic(s) by reading the relevant literature. Mentors will often help mentees to look for appropriate reading materials. This step helps the mentee to form a big picture of the field or topic by knowing what has been done and what can be done. The process can be short or long depending on how knowledgeable the mentee is with the field of study. If it takes too long for a mentee to read papers or articles, then it might be an indicator that this project is not yet part of the student researcher’s skillset or has to be better scaffolded into the research plan. This may happen when the student has not had experiences in reading articles in that discipline. After the literature review, the mentee, with the help of the mentor, may propose a researchable question.

Information Gathering

Implementing a research plan often requires gathering information through mentor-recommended methods. These methods may include surveys, scientific experiments, sampling, observations, and literature queries. The quality of the gathered information greatly determines the quality of the research results.

Research Analysis

Analyzing gathered information usually requires knowledge of mathematics and statistics. It includes organizing the information and choosing and applying appropriate methods to draw and present conclusions. The mentee may need help in this process, particularly those who belong to the STEM fields. This process of analyzing real problems will allow the mentee to expand their knowledge and gain deeper understanding of abstract concepts.

Conclusion and Summary

The mentee can learn how to summarize the results from the research and draw meaningful conclusions. As they draw these conclusions, the mentee should be aware that the conclusions may not be permanent. Drawn conclusions in STEM are usually interpreted in light of the constraints placed on the research paradigm, system studied, assumptions made, quality of the data, instrumentation, and methods used.

It is important for the mentors to be able to adjust the research plan as they get to know the mentees and their skills set. The successful implementation of the research plan entails open communication of ideas and results between mentors and mentees. The commitment of time and effort from both parties, including the setting and the following of a fixed meeting schedule, is critical in determining whether the research project will be successfully implemented.