Research Agenda

A document which contains information which is necessary for the planning and the execution of a study of research is known as research agenda. Creating a research agenda should be a major goal for all graduate students — regardless of theoretical interests, methodological preferences, or career aspirations. This is a document which can help researchers identify their tasks which need to be prioritized according to the phase of the research they are presently at.

A research agenda helps you orient yourself toward both short- and long-term goals; it will guide your selection of classes, help you decide which academic conferences to engage in, and steer you in recruiting mentors and research collaborators. Besides, it also allows them to follow their particular research pattern. It becomes the guiding force for researchers eventually to achieve their objectives.

Research agendas are similar to agendas of other types which are written for meetings by companies and organizations as well as individuals or groups of people. It plays a valuable role in helping design scholarly activities for graduate students and faculty. As it is considered as the guiding force for the research to progress, it is evident that the document must be created before the planned research begins.

The word research has acquired a different meaning in present-day times when the term is being used by just about everyone. A clearly articulated research agenda provides boundaries for you to make decisions regarding your scholarly work.

Research agendas are comprised of a strand of research that you explore. Similarly, some organizations are also using the term according to their individual needs, but the common principle among the agendas remains the same, and that is to provide the researcher information about the things they need to accomplish along with their team.

The research agenda is always written for the individuals who will be the core members of the research team. It is written by the institution that is looking for certain information and is assigning the task of collecting the information to a certain individual. It is the responsibility of the institution to ensure that the agenda reaches the individual chosen at least a week before the commencement of the research plan.