Planning is a key element of good research practice

    Planning is a key element of good research practice and needs to be done in a very formal and comprehensive manner. Planning helps to formulate a project from a collection of thoughts, anticipate potential problems, and continuously focus the project towards its aim. To do this requires a clear understanding of: • what the project is trying to achieve (the AIM); • what needs to be done to achieve it (the OBJECTIVES); • how the objectives should be tackled (the METHODOLOGY);