An Extended Investigation is not just an intellectual challenge — it is a project management challenge. You must plan, monitor and complete a substantial piece of work over many months, balancing it with other VCE subjects. Researchers who lack project management skills produce weaker work simply because they run out of time, lose track of tasks, or fail to identify problems before they become catastrophic.
Research involves uncertainty — you will encounter unexpected results, unavailable sources, participant cancellations and new insights that require you to revise your direction. Good project management gives you the structure to respond to these challenges without losing sight of the end goal.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Your research plan is not a rigid script — it is a framework for decision-making. The goal is not to follow it perfectly, but to use it to notice when things are going off-track and to adjust proactively.
A milestone is a significant checkpoint or deliverable — a point at which you can assess whether the project is on track.
Examples for Extended Investigation:
- Research question finalised
- Literature review completed
- Data collection completed
- First draft of report submitted to teacher for feedback
- Report submitted
Milestones should have specific, realistic dates attached.
A Gantt chart maps tasks against time, showing:
- When each task begins and ends
- Which tasks depend on completion of other tasks (dependencies)
- What overlaps are possible (e.g., literature review can continue while data is being collected)
Even a simple table (task | start date | end date | status) is sufficient for planning purposes.
Break large tasks (e.g., “write literature review”) into manageable sub-tasks:
1. Finalise search terms
2. Search three databases
3. Select and annotate 10 sources
4. Organise by theme
5. Draft section by section
This prevents procrastination and makes progress visible.
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Gantt chart | Visualise timeline and dependencies |
| Task list / To-do app | Day-to-day task tracking (Notion, Trello, physical list) |
| Calendar | Block time for specific research tasks |
| Progress log | Daily/weekly notes on what was done, what problems arose |
| Risk register | Identify potential problems and contingency plans |
STUDY HINT: Treat research time like a class period — block it in your calendar and protect it. Research has shown that “I’ll do it whenever I have time” almost never results in adequate time being allocated to complex projects.
Your written research plan (required for Unit 3) should include:
- Research question: Clearly stated
- Methods: How will you gather data? What are the instruments?
- Timeline: Major milestones with dates
- Resources required: Access to databases, materials, participant groups
- Ethical considerations: How will you address consent, confidentiality, etc.
- Contingency planning: What if a data source is unavailable? What if participant numbers are low?
EXAM TIP: If asked to evaluate a research plan, look for: (1) Is the timeline realistic? (2) Are dependencies identified? (3) Are ethical issues addressed? (4) Is there contingency planning? (5) Is the scope feasible for the time frame?
A research plan is only useful if you regularly compare your actual progress against it:
- Weekly review: What was achieved this week vs planned?
- Milestone check: Are you on track for the next milestone?
- Problem log: What obstacles arose, and how were they addressed?
When progress falls behind:
- Narrow the scope of the question rather than rushing the work
- Consult your teacher early — later is always worse
- Revise the timeline realistically rather than hoping to “catch up”
COMMON MISTAKE: Underestimating how long writing takes. Many students allow adequate time for research but too little for drafting, revising and polishing. The writing phase typically takes as long as the research phase — plan accordingly.
APPLICATION: Create a backwards Gantt chart on Day 1 of your investigation. Work from the submission deadline backwards to identify when the literature review, data collection, analysis and first draft must each be complete. Share it with your teacher and revise it monthly.
