Typical stages for students & researchers creators

1. Research Question

   A clear, well-defined research question is the foundation of everything that follows. For many researchers, the most important work happens before any data is collected — refining and sharpening the question until it is genuinely answerable.

   What this stage means

   A clear, well-defined research question is the foundation of everything that follows. The most important work in any research project often happens before data is collected — refining and sharpening the question until it is genuinely answerable within the constraints you are working under.

   Questions to consider

   • Is the research question specific enough to be meaningfully answered?
   • Is the question genuinely open, or is it leading toward a predetermined answer?
   • Have you confirmed that the question is feasible within your timeline and resources?
   • Does the question make a genuine contribution to the existing body of knowledge?

   Practical ideas

   • Write the question in three different ways and compare them
   • Create a Creative Record to mark the beginning of the research project
   • Share the question with your supervisor and at least one peer for early feedback
   • Research whether the question has already been answered — and how your approach differs if so

   Pro tip

   A research question that can be answered with a yes or no is usually not a research question yet.

   Reached a meaningful milestone? Create another Lyricsmit Record and continue building your Creative Record Archive.

2. Literature Review

   Understanding what already exists is both a starting point and a contribution in itself. A thorough literature review maps the current state of knowledge and reveals where your work has the space to add something new.

   What this stage means

   Understanding what already exists is both a starting point and a genuine contribution. A thorough literature review maps the current state of knowledge, identifies gaps, and positions your work within the broader conversation — and the discipline required to conduct it well develops research skills that serve every subsequent stage.

   Questions to consider

   • Are you reading critically, or just accumulating sources?
   • Have you identified the key figures, debates, and turning points in your field?
   • Is your note-taking system organised enough to be useful during writing?
   • Have you identified the gap your research is positioned to address?

   Practical ideas

   • Use reference management software from the beginning — reorganising citations later is painful
   • Write brief critical summaries of key sources as you read them
   • Map the relationships between sources visually — it often reveals patterns the reading doesn't
   • Identify the most cited works in your area and understand why they are cited

   Pro tip

   The literature review is not finished when you've read enough — it's finished when you can clearly articulate where your work fits.

3. Methodology

   Defining how the research will be conducted — methods, sources, sample and analysis approach — shapes everything that follows. Having the methodology reviewed before data collection begins is common practice in most disciplines.

   What this stage means

   Defining how the research will be conducted — methods, sources, sample, and analysis approach — shapes everything that follows. A well-considered methodology makes data collection more efficient and analysis more defensible. Having the methodology reviewed before collection begins is standard practice in most disciplines.

   Questions to consider

   • Is the chosen methodology appropriate for the research question?
   • Have you considered alternative methodological approaches?
   • Are there ethical considerations that need to be addressed?
   • Has the methodology been reviewed by your supervisor?

   Practical ideas

   • Write the methodology as if explaining it to an intelligent person unfamiliar with your field
   • Create a Creative Record of the final methodology before data collection begins
   • Test the methodology at small scale before full implementation
   • Identify the limitations of your approach honestly — examiners value this

   Pro tip

   The methodology that is easier to defend is often not the most adventurous — know which choice you're making and why.

   Reached a meaningful milestone? Create another Lyricsmit Record and continue building your Creative Record Archive.

4. Data Collection

   Gathering evidence is where the research moves from theory into practice. Keeping clear, well-organised records during data collection makes the analysis stage significantly more manageable.

   What this stage means

   Gathering evidence is where the research moves from theory into practice. Keeping clear, well-organised records during data collection makes the analysis stage significantly more manageable — and creates a documented trail that allows you to explain your process and verify your findings.

   Questions to consider

   • Are you collecting data in a format that will be easy to analyse?
   • Is there a consistent system for naming, organising, and backing up collected data?
   • Have all ethical requirements been met throughout collection?
   • Is there a risk of data loss that needs to be mitigated?

   Practical ideas

   • Back up collected data daily to at least two separate locations
   • Keep a collection log that records what was gathered, when, and under what conditions
   • Note anomalies or unexpected occurrences during collection — they are often important
   • Create a Creative Record of the completed data collection stage

   Pro tip

   Data that isn't organised during collection is significantly harder to analyse — build the organisational system before you start.

5. Analysis

   Making sense of what the data reveals is often the most intellectually demanding part of the process. It's not uncommon for initial hypotheses to be challenged — and sometimes significantly changed — by what the evidence actually shows.

   What this stage means

   Making sense of what the data reveals is often the most intellectually demanding part of the research process. Initial hypotheses frequently need to be revised in response to the evidence — and that revision is not a failure; it is the research working as it should.

   Questions to consider

   • Are you following the evidence, or trying to make the evidence follow your hypothesis?
   • Have you used the most appropriate analytical approach for your data and question?
   • Have you checked for errors or inconsistencies in the data before drawing conclusions?
   • Have you discussed preliminary findings with your supervisor?

   Practical ideas

   • Document your analytical decisions and the reasoning behind them
   • Present preliminary findings to a peer group before finalising your analysis
   • Look for disconfirming evidence as carefully as you look for confirming evidence
   • Create a Creative Record of significant analytical findings

   Pro tip

   The finding that complicates your argument is usually the one most worth including.

   Reached a meaningful milestone? Create another Lyricsmit Record and continue building your Creative Record Archive.

6. Writing

   Turning research into a written argument is a craft in itself. Drafting and redrafting — working to make complex ideas as clear and accessible as possible without losing accuracy or rigour — is a normal and necessary part of the process.

   What this stage means

   Turning research into a written argument is a craft in itself. Drafting and redrafting — working to make complex ideas as clear and accessible as possible without losing accuracy or rigour — is a normal and necessary part of the academic writing process.

   Questions to consider

   • Have you produced a complete draft before revising heavily?
   • Is the argument structured logically for a reader unfamiliar with the data?
   • Have you distinguished clearly between what the evidence shows and what you interpret it to mean?
   • Have you sought feedback on the writing before finalising?

   Practical ideas

   • Write a complete first draft before editing — structural problems are easier to see in a whole draft
   • Read each section as a reader would, not a writer — note where the argument is unclear
   • Read key passages aloud — unclear writing reveals itself when spoken
   • Create a Creative Record of the completed draft

   Pro tip

   Academic writing is clearest when the writer knows more than they need to say — expertise creates room for simplicity.

7. Submission & Review

   Sharing work for formal evaluation — with a supervisor, journal, institution or funding body — is a significant milestone. Feedback received at this stage, even when it requires substantial revision, tends to produce considerably stronger final work.

   What this stage means

   Sharing work for formal evaluation is a significant milestone — and the feedback received, even when it requires substantial revision, almost always produces stronger final work. Approaching review as collaboration rather than judgement tends to produce better outcomes and a better experience.

   Questions to consider

   • Is the work as strong as you can make it before submission?
   • Are formatting, referencing, and presentation requirements met precisely?
   • Have you allowed time for a final read-through before submission?
   • Is a Creative Record of the submitted work appropriate?

   Practical ideas

   • Create a Creative Record of the submitted work before sending it
   • Read the final submission once more the day before — errors appear in the last read
   • Prepare responses to likely examiner questions before the review
   • Allow yourself to acknowledge the milestone — reaching submission is a significant achievement

   Pro tip

   Submission is the end of one phase of the work, not the end of the work — approach the review process with that in mind.

   Reached a meaningful milestone? Create another Lyricsmit Record and continue building your Creative Record Archive.

Things to Consider

• Have you reached a meaningful milestone?
• Is this a version you’d like to remember?
• Have you organised your project files?
• Are you ready for the next stage of your creative journey?

What You Could Do Next

Once this stage of the work is complete, these are some possible directions to explore. Choose what fits your project.

• Incorporating supervisor feedback into a final draft
• Strengthening the literature review
• Preparing for thesis submission
• Exploring academic publishing opportunities
• Submitting to conferences
• Building a research portfolio
• Networking in the academic and professional community
• Exploring higher education pathways