Investment research (also called stock market research) is one of the common tasks that every investor performs. Whether you are an active trader or just simply invest your pension funds, you always need to do at least some basic research. In online investments research it can become complicated to find a starting point when there it seems that there are hundreds of millions pages of material available on most search topics. We have collected a few simple points below that may help you to begin your research.

• Define your investment goal. You must know what you want. “I want more money,” is the wrong answer. You have to understand clearly your investments possibilities. It is logical that a trader who has $100K in his portfolio would have a different investment goal than a trader who has $1,000 in his pocket.
•  Decide how much money you are willing to invest and also how much of your money you are ready to lose. This might not be very encouraging, but investment is a risky business and nobody can give you a guarantee that you will not lose money in the stock market.
•  When you know your investment goals and your investment possibilities you must define your level of knowledge of the stock market and decide whether you want to learn or prefer to find a professional who you would trust to make the investment decisions for you.
•  When you begin online research, bear in mind that the internet is a land of "freedom without boundaries." In many areas, the internet is uncontrolled and unregulated and only a small disclaimer is legally required from a web-site owner. People lie, websites post incorrect information and there is no shortage of scams online.
•  Before starting any research, find a good investment forum, message board or discussion group that will address your investments interests. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. There are plenty good people out there and you can always receive good advice at no charge.