Begin performing research and collecting data

The goal of the PhD is to complete independent research. Its your first chance to be an academic pioneer, exploring an untapped field, researching new layers of a particular topic, and putting your stamp on the conversation happening in your field. Its also a great opportunity to get deep into a topic that excites and interests you. Choose a research topic that gives you genuine pleasure, and choose something that youre willing to spend several years exploring.
Start with a research question. A research question is what youll hope to answer over the course of your dissertation research. It needs to be narrow, but with broadreaching implications. A starting research question might be something like, How are women represented during the silver age of American comic book publishing? or What are the implications of spontaneous genetic mutation during breeding in drosophila, and what effect might this have on cancer research?