What good research looks like 

Your research should include:

• a range of sources (not just one website)

• notes in your own words (no copy/paste)

• links/citations so you can reference sources later

• evidence that helps you make justified decisions (not just interesting facts)

• information gathered across Parts A, B, and C (user, technical, wider implications)

Research set-up: search smarter

Before you start, build a short list of keywords. Try:

• topic keywords (e.g., sleep, anxiety, equestrian safety, cyberbullying, recycling, training plan)

• audience keywords (e.g., teen, beginner, older adults, whānau, club members)

• context keywords (e.g., school, Aotearoa, Christchurch, community, sport, online)

• outcome keywords (e.g., website, app, video, animation, poster series, game, interactive)

• problem keywords (e.g., barriers, accessibility, usability, motivation, misinformation)

• perspective keywords (e.g., teacher, coach, parent, health professional, organisation, policy, privacy, accessibility)

Tip: Use Google Scholar for higher-quality studies and reports.

Use a mix of research types

You will usually use a combination of secondary research (desk research) and primary research (information from people).

Choose reliable sources

Not all sources are equal. Before you use something, do a quick check:

Quick quality check

• Who created it (person/organisation)? Are they credible?

• When was it made/updated? Is it still relevant?

• Why does it exist (inform, sell, persuade)?

• What evidence is used (data, references, examples)?

• Can you confirm it with another source?

Aim to use a mix of:

• reputable websites and organisations

• books and articles

• reports and data

• case studies or examples of existing outcomes 

• interviews/surveys/observations (primary research)

Quick ethics reminder (especially for surveys/interviews) 

If you’re collecting information from people:

• ask permission and be respectful

• keep personal information private (use anonymous responses where possible)

• store your data safely and only use it for this project

Purpose: Understand the people who will use, be affected by, or interact with the proposed outcome. 

A1: Evidence & Perspectives (What’s out there?) 

Write your Part A questions (aim 3–5):

Try to include at least one question about needs, one about constraints, and one about implications/risks. 

• Who are the primary end users, and what are their goals?

• What problems/needs/opportunities exist from the user’s point of view?

• What does success look like for the user (quick, clear, enjoyable, accurate, safe, accessible)?

• What frustrations or barriers do users face with existing solutions?

• What are the different user types (majority vs extreme users)?

• What motivates users to engage with outcomes like this (purpose, fun, convenience, identity, community)?

• What assumptions am I making about users, and how can I check these are accurate?

• What feedback have I already gathered (informal/quick), and what patterns are showing up?

Record each source like this (copy/paste format):

• Source: title, author/organisation, link, date accessed

• Perspective/lens: end user / stakeholder / expert / cultural/community / industry / other _______ 

• Key points: 3–5 bullets (your words)

• How this connects to my inquiry focus: 1–2 sentences

• Source critique (Excellence):

  • Accuracy

  • Relevance

  • Reliability/authority

  • Bias/limitations / what’s missing

  • Trust level (low/medium/high) + why

Note: If you want Merit / Excellence you need to have more than one source, just repeat A1 as many times as you need.

A2: Compare & Contrast perspectives (Merit)

• What do the perspectives agree on?

• What do they disagree on (and why)?

• What trade-offs or tensions appear?

• Whose voice is missing or under-represented?

A3: Implications (What does this mean for my proposed outcome?)

Write 3–5 implication questions, then summarise:

• What this means I should prioritise

• What I should avoid / handle carefully

• What decisions I can already justify

• What I still need to find out

A4: Part A Summary of Key ideas, points, perspectives, follow ups

• Main user/stakeholder insights (not a re-list of sources)

• Competing perspectives and what they mean

• Follow-up questions you still need to answer

Purpose: Investigate tools, methods, conventions, and feasibility of creating the proposed outcome. 

B1: Evidence & Perspectives (How is this built / what works well? ) 

Write your Part B questions (aim 3–5):

Try to include at least one question about needs, one about constraints, and one about implications/risks. 

• What conventions/standards (“rules of the craft”) apply in this area to keep it professional and consistent?

• What features/components must my outcome have to function as intended?

• What tools/software/materials are commonly used and why?

• What are the pros/cons of different technical approaches (time, complexity, quality, performance, reliability)?

• What skills will I need to learn/practise?

• What constraints do I need to plan for (time, file formats, storage, performance, cost, available equipment)?

• What will I need to test, and how will I know it’s working (criteria, measures, technical checks)?

• What risks could cause failure (bugs, weak structure, low-quality assets, unsafe operation), and how can I reduce them?

Record each source like this (copy/paste format):

• Source: title, author/organisation, link, date accessed

• Perspective/lens: tool comparison / workflow / performance / feasibility / safety / sustainability / other:__________

• Key points: 3–5 bullets (your words)

• How this connects to my inquiry focus: 1–2 sentences

• Source critique (Excellence):

  • Accuracy

  • Relevance

  • Reliability/authority

  • Bias/limitations / what’s missing

  • Trust level (low/medium/high) + why

Note: If you want Merit / Excellence you need to have more than one source, just repeat B1 as many times as you need.

B2: Compare & Contrast (Merit)

• Approach A vs Approach B: 

  • Strengths

  • Limitations

  • Best fit for my context and why

B3: Conventions (rules of the craft) 

• What conventions/standards apply in my area (naming, file formats, asset pipeline, testing, accessibility, export settings, usability heuristics, genre conventions)?

• Why they matter (what happens if ignored)

B4: Implications (Feasibility, constraints, trade-offs) 

Write 3–5 implication questions, then summarise:

• what is realistic within time/tools/skill

• key constraints that will shape the outcome

• technical risks and how to reduce them

B5: Part B Summary of Key Ideas, comparisons, and follow-ups 

• Key technical conclusions (synthesised)

• The most important trade-offs

• What I still need to test/confirm

Purpose: Understand the bigger picture, responsibilities, and ethical impacts. 

C1: Evidence & Perspectives (Bigger Picture) 

Write your Part C questions (aim 3–5):

Try to include at least one question about needs, one about constraints, and one about implications/risks. 

• What ethical issues could come up (representation, stereotypes, consent, manipulation, bias, misinformation)?

• What privacy/data considerations apply (collecting, storing, sharing)?

• What legal rules apply (copyright/licensing/attribution/terms of use)?

• Who else could be affected beyond the end user (whānau, school, community, wider audience)?

• What sustainability/future-proofing considerations matter?

• How might this include or exclude certain groups, and what could I do to improve accessibility and inclusion?

• What cultural considerations should guide decisions (respectful use of imagery/language/stories, avoiding tokenism, consultation)?

• What perspectives do experts, organisations, or current debates raise about this topic, and how should that influence my choices?

Record each source like this (copy/paste format):

• Source: title, author/organisation, link, date accessed

• Perspective/lens: legal / ethical / cultural / IP / sustainability / privacy / other: _______ 

• Key points: 3–5 bullets (your words)

• How this connects to my inquiry focus: 1–2 sentences

• Source critique (Excellence):

  • Accuracy

  • Relevance

  • Reliability/authority

  • Bias/limitations / what’s missing

  • Trust level (low/medium/high) + why

Note: If you want Merit / Excellence you need to have more than one source, just repeat A1 as many times as you need.

C2: Compare & Contrast Wider View Points (Merit)

Try to include at least two different viewpoints (e.g., users/community vs policy/experts), and explain why the disagreement matters. 

• Where viewpoints conflict and why:

• What risks or responsibilities this creates:

• What this means for how my outcome should behave / be designed:

C3: Implications (What does this mean for my proposed outcome?)

Write 3–5 implication questions, then summarise:

• Legal / IP / privacy considerations:

• Fairness / bias / accessibility considerations:

• Sustainability / future-proofing considerations:

C4: Part C Summary of Key ideas, tensions, and follow-ups 

• The most significant responsibilities/risks

• Key tensions and what they mean

• Follow-up research needed