John spends time writing down topic ideas for his research project. which step of the writing process is he actively involved in? a. pre-writing b. planning c. researching d. editing

The correct answer would be: B. Planning
Explanation: 
The word "ideas" would tell you that someone is "planning" to do something, so it would be planning. Pre-writing would mean he just got the topic and he's thinking about what to write. Researching would mean he's searching up the Internet to find sources. Editing means that he's writing or doing the project.
I hope this helps. :-)