Defining your research question(s) is the first place to start when designing a survey/research project. Think about what you would like to know, and what you want to use this information for in the short and long term.
Some questions that may help define your research question include:
- What is your ideal goal, and is this realistic (i.e., access, governance issues to resolve)?
- What are the management decisions that you need the data for (i.e., what kinds of forum do you need to be able to use your data in with confidence)?
- What species or life stage are you interested in?
- Are there any particular locations that are more important to you than others?
