Research Craft

Master the systematic process of formulating meaningful research problems, constructing evidence-based arguments, and communicating findings that contribute to scholarly conversations.

When to Use

✅ Use for: Academic research papers, thesis/dissertation work, scholarly article writing, literature reviews, evidence-based argumentation, knowledge synthesis, participating in disciplinary conversations ❌ NOT for: Creative writing, journalistic reporting, business case studies, technical documentation, marketing content, personal essays, opinion pieces

Core Process

Problem Formulation Decision Tree

START: Do you have a clear research problem?
├─ NO: Do you have a specific topic (not just broad subject)?
│  ├─ NO → Find specific topic within general interest area
│  └─ YES → Question topic systematically
│     └─ Ask "So what?" to test consequences
│        ├─ Readers won't care → Reframe problem from reader perspective
│        └─ Readers will care → Verify problem structure:
│           ├─ Condition (knowledge gap) stated?