Impactful research doesn't happen in a vacuum. Rather it is always informed by the vast amounts of writing, methods, and discoveries that already exist or are in progress.

As you consider your field of study, think of its research like you would a conversation.

Research is all about listening, reading, asking questions and eventually responding, whether in person, in writing, or via an original output.
Research is the product of many different voices. New voices can therefore bring fresh perspectives to a field, although it can be challenging to enter the conversation initially.
Research shifts and evolves its interests over time, which makes keeping up with what's new or important an active and ongoing skill for researchers.

As a graduate student researcher, the following questions can help you better understand the conversation in which you are trying to engage.

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What's been said? What's left to say?

Knowing what's already been thoroughly researched and what questions still exist in your field will help you to smoothly enter the research conversation and find an original niche.

You can do background research by identifying highly-cited researchers and publications in your discipline. This happens over time, so don't rush the process of gathering information. Start off by getting tips from your advisor on what pieces are foundational to your field. Some common tools for conducting background research include:

Conducting a literature review
Finding highly cited works
Reviewing the bibliographies of material you are already reviewing
Reading scholarly encyclopedia articles

Who's talking and where?

Conversations can be exclusive. As a student, you are going to be surrounded by academics, faculty and other students who may have already had a ton of experience in academic discussions. Some voices are louder than others by way of experience and privilege. What can you do to make sure many voices and perspectives, including your own, are heard? Don't limit conversations to one location or voice in your own research. Conversations are happening everywhere-- blogs, newspapers, academic journals, conferences and networking. Here are some tips:

Gather a range of information types and perspectives to get the big picture
Don't limit yourself to single source types and publishers
Include competing voices and perspectives in your research and bibliographies. You don't have to agree with the perspectives you include! Including perspectives that you might not agree with will strengthen your own argument
Get outside your academic department and community to find out what others are saying
Look into community impacts of the research that you are conducting, and include voices who are most impacted by your questions. Better yet, collaborate with those communities to fully inform your projects
Know the "experts" and those most highly-cited in your disciplines, then look beyond that to those that have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed journals

Remember, the conversation is ongoing and never-ending. You have a role to play in advancing knowledge, no matter what perspective or experiences you bring. So keep asking questions and talking, because the more information you learn, the more ready you'll be to enter the dialogue.