📚 Overview of Module
This module introduces students to frameworks for identifying and analysing research problems in order to maximize the potential impact of their dissertation or thesis. Students will examine two common challenges in early-stage research design:
- Problem selection – choosing a topic that is important, neglected, and tractable enough to be meaningfully addressed within the scope of a thesis.
- Problem analysis – developing a deep understanding of the causes, drivers, and bottlenecks that shape the issue, rather than addressing surface-level symptoms.
Students will be introduced to tools such as the Importance–Neglectedness–Tractability (ITN) framework for prioritizing problems, and problem tree and bottleneck analysis for diagnosing their underlying causes.
🧠 Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- Apply the ITN framework to assess the relevance and impact potential of different research problems.
- Construct a problem tree to map root causes and downstream effects of a chosen issue.
- Identify bottlenecks that limit progress on addressing the problem and evaluate their implications for research design.
- Differentiate between symptoms and root causes to avoid premature or misaligned research directions.
📗 Module Content
Introduction