Question One

In your opinion, what makes a good research topic? Compare your list with the one here (Box 2.1 Checklist, Saunders et al., 2019, p.31). What did you add or leave out? Do you disagree with this list in any way, or have you questioned elements of your own list on the basis of Saunders'?

Question Two

One of the most popular ways in which to present a project schedule is through the creation of a Gantt chart. A Gantt chart aims to provide an easy to read and effective method through which to see the progress of activities compared to the planned progress of these activities.

A Gantt chart is created by adding the activities to be completed displayed as bars plotted against a horizontal time scale.

Within the Gantt chart, the length and position of the bar provides an indication of the start date, end date, and length of the activity. Often additional columns will include details such as the number of days, start date, finish date, and preceding activities.

One of the key advantages of the use of Gantt charts is that they are easy to read and understand. Gantt charts can be particularly useful as a visual device for communicating with staff and senior managers. They are additionally considered to be relatively easy to update and maintain and provide an indication of the current state of a project.

Develop a Gantt chart for your 16-week dissertation period or find a sample Gantt chart online. In what ways does a Gantt chart help you in terms of time management? What are some disadvantages of Gantt charts?