Identify Knowledge Gaps and Areas of Interest:

• Review existing literature to identify gaps in current knowledge.

• Explore emerging trends, controversies, or unanswered questions within your field.

• Consider interdisciplinary perspectives to uncover novel intersections and potential research avenues. Ie Look at other disciplines - can you apply different areas of knowledge to your topic

Formulate One or More Questions:

• Generate hypotheses/questions based on identified gaps and areas of interest.

• Develop clear research idea (ie be specific if you can, what are you actually asking?!)

• Consider the feasibility and potential impact of investigating each hypothesis/idea/question.

Evaluate Significance and Innovation:

• Assess the relevance and significance of your proposed scientific questions within the broader context of your field.

• Determine the potential for innovation and novelty in addressing these questions.

• Consider how your research may advance knowledge, challenge existing paradigms, or offer practical implications.

Key an eye on latest research articles / journals (Nature, Lancet, NEJM, frontiers, University sites)

• https://www.nature.com/subjects/neuroscience

• https://news.mit.edu/topic/neuroscience

• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/research-topics

Have a look at Research priorities / highly funded themes

• https://www.brainresearchuk.org.uk/research/priorities

• https://braininitiative.nih.gov/vision/priority-areas

• https://www.ukri.org/councils/mrc/remit-programmes-and-priorities/

Look in the main stream news (with caution) - what makes something newsworthy!

• https://www.theguardian.com/science/neuroscience

• https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c77jz3mdqz2t

• https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/neuroscience