Identify the communication issue you plan to investigate further. Your topic should be broad enough in scope to provide you with sufficient information to complete this learning exercise. To avoid designing a research project that is too broad in scope, use concrete rather than abstract terms, and choose a topic you will be able to research within the time frame provided. It may help to apply the acronym SMART to the process of refining your research question – that is, is your research question specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely?