Watch "Desires and Diversions" by by Newell (on YouTube in 10 parts, here's part 1 to start you off)
Here are Newell's slides.
Review the readings from "About HCI Research"
Try to touch on multiple perspectives: beh/cog/des/cs/anthro/...
Optional:
Herb Simon, "What is a Systematic Method of Scientific Discovery?" Working notes, AAAI Spring Symposium on Systematic Methods of Scientific Discovery, Stanford University, March 1995.
[F08 Slides], [F09 Slides]