Brainstorming
The technique of brainstorming (Box 2.4), taught as a problem-solving technique on many business and management courses, can also be used to generate and refine research ideas. It is best undertaken with a group of people, although you can brainstorm on your own. To brainstorm, Moody (1988) suggests that you:
1 Define your problem – that is, the sorts of ideas you are interested in – as precisely as possible. In the early stages of formulating a topic this may be as vague as ‘I am inter- ested in marketing but don’t know what to do for my research topic’.
2 Ask for suggestions, relating to the problem.