u A research question is a...
u clear
u focused
u concise
u complex
u arguable
u ...question around which you center your research.
You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely curious and/or passionate about.
Steps to developing a research question:
u Choose an interesting general topic. u Is this something that people care about? u Who is the audience?
u Do some preliminary research on your general topic. u What’s already been done? u What additional questions does this early research
raise?
Steps to developing a research question:
u Hypothesize. Think about what the path you think the answer will take.
u Where do you think your research will take you?
u What kind of argument are you hoping to make/support?
u What will it mean if your research disputes your planned argument?
u What data sources will you need to test your hypothesis?
Steps to developing a research question:
u Determine and evaluate your question. After you’ve got a question or even a couple of questions down on paper, evaluate these questions to realize if they would be effective research questions or if they need more revising.
u Is your question original and phrased in neutral terms?
u Is your research question clear?
u Is your research question focused?
u Is your research question complex?
Be Flexible
u It is normal to modify your research question along the way!
References