Whether you are conducting research for a client or
yourself, you need a research plan!
Without a research plan:
No time
limit is defined; will you complete this work tomorrow or next year?
No goal
is set;
are you looking for a name, a date, a record?
Not
having a plan is NOT efficient. Gathering as much information as you can on a
subject is not efficient, you don’t meet an end result.
With a research plan:
You will
have time to think of ideas and strategy.
An
outline will funnel resources and make your task a manageable one.
You will
maximize chance of meeting all your goals.
You
won't be as likely to be led astray when stumbling on information pertaining to
another project. Jot down notes or the location information and keep your focus
on the research at hand. You can come back to this information when time
permits and you have all your resources together.