Start by identifying a realistic and achievable research need - What do you want to find out from your visit?

The first stage in conducting successful research involves identifying a realistic and achievable research need which is relevant to your professional area. This sounds very grand, but all it means is think about what it is you want to know. There's no point in picking up the phone to arrange a visit to an opportunity provider if you don't know why you are going.

Spend a bit of time identifying your personal and professional objectives. So you might be going because you need to build up your occupational knowledge within a particular industry. However, you know your organisation also is keen to build links with that opportunity provider with a view to getting some involvement in events such as industry days.

You're clear about what you want, but what can you offer?

Don't forget any visit needs to be a two-way process. What are you going to offer the employer when you call?

Check out what research has already been done

So you've decided on your target employer or institution, before you literally or figuratively turn up on their doorstep do your homework!

Find out if anyone else in your organisation has contacted them already - and it's only courteous to check out existing information on any organisational website. This allows you to make a more informed approach.

Don't forget:

No researcher can demand access to an institution, an organisation or to materials. People will be doing you a favour if they agree to help, and will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be made of the information they provide. They will have to be convinced of your integrity and of the value of your research before they decide whether or not to cooperate.

• Check with your line-manager or colleagues that your intended visit is appropriate
• Speak to the people who will be asked to co-operate.
• Remember that people who agreed to help are doing you a favour - they can say no
• Be absolutely clear about:
  • the purpose of your visit,
  • who will come with you,
  • how long you want to spend,
  • why you want to visit in person
• Inform participants what is to be done with the information they provide.

If the opportunity provider doesn't want to be interviewed then try the following:

• Try approaching another person in a similar position but in another institution
• Ask if it might be appropriate to approach another individual within the same institution
• Ask if you can try again later, when people are less busy. Attitudes may have changed, people may have moved on, and you may have more to show to demonstrate the value of your research.