Tools+for+planning

toc

** Planning **
Before you start work, think about:
 * What is required?
 * What do you need to produce?
 * Who is your audience?
 * Is there anything you have to include? Maps, diagrams, illustrations?
 * How much time to you have?
 * What you need to find out.
 * Brainstorm some ideas
 * Produce a plan. The plan can be in the form of a **list**, or a **mind map** or a **table**, whatever suits you.


 * If you need help with planning go to Areas for Investigation tutorial**


 * If you are not sure what sort of information you need, use this What kind of Information tutorial**

Learning styles
How you approach your work will depend on your learning style, try this Learning styles quiz
 * Work through this Learning Styles tutorial.**

What do you already know?
You could use a sheet to sort out what you know and what you need to find out.
 * [[image:http://www.graphic.org/images/kwhl.gif]] ||

**Mindmapping**
This is a simple example of a mindmap.
 * If you want more help with mindmaps go to the Mind maps tutorial.**

Use either a or a to plan out your research.

Try [|Readwritethink] to produce an online mind-map and plan. Exploratreehas lots of thinking guides that you can use to plan your work.

You can find lots of useful mind maps and other graphic organisers at [|Enchanted Learning] Click here for lots more on mind-mapping sites. Webspiration is a good thinking tool

Team working
You may be working as part of a team. Before you start you could discuss teamworking and agree that you will:


 * Turn up at the agreed time, ready and prepared to work
 * Listen to each other in discussions
 * Respect each others' opinions
 * Share our findings
 * Help each other if someone is stuck
 * Agree on how much time and energy we are prepared to commit to the project
 * Make the presentation as good as possible
 * Share the credit so that everyone is rewarded equally
 * Stick to the agreement

Interviewing people
If you are going to interview someone, you need to think of good questions to ask them. If you need help to think of questions, use this questions tutorial. If you are going to interview lots of people, try this Market Research tutorial.

Once you have produced a project plan, you are ready to move onto Tools for Finding Information.