Ask for a research plan before conclusions

Unit ID: AIT-M06-U01 Estimated active time: 15-20 minutes

The main idea

A plan shows what to look for and how to check it.

It converts a vague question into a list of things you can go and do, which is what makes research finishable.

Why this matters

A plan is also honest about what is not yet known. A conclusion produced before the reading has happened is a guess with a confident sentence around it.

Safe example

A question becomes source types, search terms, comparison criteria, and risks.

Four short lists. None of them contains an answer, and all of them are useful.

Better working habit

Start with questions and source types.

The source types matter as much as the questions. Knowing you need an official page rather than a blog post shapes the whole search.

What to watch for

Do not ask the tool to decide before evidence exists.

A decision offered at this stage will anchor everything you read afterwards, and you will find yourself checking it rather than testing it.

Mini practice

Create a research plan for a safe everyday question.

Then estimate how long each step would take. A plan you have not costed is a wish.

Check yourself

Before moving on, answer:

• Does my plan contain any conclusions, and should it?
• What source type does each question need?
• How long would this plan actually take to carry out?