One of the challenges that any researcher faces is that they will never get to grips with all literature which has some potential bearing on their work.  They have to be selective in order to make progress, and it is therefore equally important to be clear about what is not relevant to your research as well as what is relevant.  One approach to this problem is to view the research project as part of a conversation.  This idea comes from Anne Huff (1999) who as a former president of the American Academy of Management likens writing a research paper to the first evening of this annual conference.  The Academy has an attendance of around 5000 delegates, it is effectively a small town which meets annually in a major city in the USA.  On the first evening of the conference the all-academy reception is held where the majority of the delegates all attend a reception in a vast ballroom.  If you imagine your research project as a delegate at this conference, then in entering the ballroom you are confronted with a sea of people in small groups all deep in discussion.  You are then faced with addressing the following questions (Figure 2) about the nature of your research: