# Academic Research Fundamentals * Definition of academic research and its core principles * Importance of methodological rigor and peer review * Distinction between qualitative and quantitative approaches # Research Question Development * Techniques for formulating effective research questions * Criteria for evaluable research questions (specificity, feasibility, significance) * Relationship between questions and methodology selection # Literature Review Methodology * Systematic approaches to reviewing existing scholarship * Strategies for identifying gaps and positioning new research * Methods for synthesizing and critiquing prior work # Research Design Frameworks * Major research design approaches (experimental, observational, mixed-methods) * Matching design to research questions * Considerations for validity and reliability # Data Collection Methods * Overview of primary research tools (surveys, interviews, experiments) * Considerations for sampling and representation * Ethical dimensions of data gathering # Academic Writing Conventions * Structure of academic papers and theses * Citation styles and practices * Developing effective arguments in scholarly writing # Analysis Techniques * Frameworks for qualitative and quantitative analysis * Tools for data interpretation * Statistical methods and their applications # Research Ethics * Ethical frameworks guiding academic inquiry * Issues of consent, privacy, and representation * Institutional review processes # Publication Strategies * Journal selection and submission processes * Responding to peer review * Open access considerations # Impact and Dissemination * Metrics for measuring research impact * Strategies for knowledge translation * Engaging with academic and public audiences