Before any data collection starts, I go through the existing literature — not just to summarize it, but to find where it agrees, where it conflicts, and where the gap is that a new study needs to fill.
In practice
- Conducting comprehensive literature reviews and synthesizing findings to support research initiatives
- Writing in a way that's rigorous enough for senior researchers and clear enough for stakeholders
- Sourcing claims carefully so conclusions can be traced back to evidence
For more on how I approach this, see my article on literature review best practices.