Developing a Research Question

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH QUESTION

It's absolutely essential to develop a research question that you're interested in or care about in order to focus your research and your paper (unless, of course, your instructor gives you a very specific assignment). For example, researching a broad topic such as "business management" is difficult since there may be hundreds of sources on all aspects of business management. On the other hand, a focused question such as "What are the pros and cons of Japanese management style?" is easier to research and can be covered more fully and in more depth.

How do you develop a usable research question? Choose an appropriate TOPIC OR ISSUE for your research, one that actually can be researched (EXERCISE 1). Then list all of the questions that you'd like answered yourself. Choose the best question, ONE THAT IS NEITHER TOO BROAD NOR TOO NARROW. Sometimes the number of sources you find will help you discover whether your research question is too broad, too narrow, or o.k.

If you know a lot about the topic, you can develop a research question based on your own knowledge. If you feel you don't know much about the topic, think again. For example, if you're assigned a research topic on an issue confronting the ancient Babylonian family remember, by virtue of your own family life, you already know a great deal about family issues. Once you determine what you do know, then you're ready to do some general reading in a textbook or encyclopedia in order to develop a usable research question.

It's a good idea to evaluate your research question before completing the research exercise (EXERCISE 3) and to ASK THE WRITING TUTOR FOR FEEDBACK ON YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION. And you also should check your research question with your course tutor.

TOPIC / ISSUE

A topic is what the essay or research paper is about. It provides a focus for the writing. Of course, the major topic can be broken down into its components or smaller pieces (e.g., the major topic of nuclear waste disposal may be broken down into medical, economic, and environmental concerns). But the important thing to remember is that you should stick with just one major topic per essay or research paper in order to have a coherent piece of writing.

An issue is a concept upon which you can take a stand. While "nuclear waste" is a topic, "safe and economic disposal of nuclear waste" is an issue, or a "point of discussion, debate, or dispute" (American Heritage Dictionary).

CHOOSE A QUESTION THAT IS NEITHER TOO BROAD NOR TOO NARROW

For example, if you choose juvenile delinquency (a topic that can be researched), you might ask the following questions:

a. What is the 1994 rate of juvenile delinquency in the U.S.?
b. What can we do to reduce juvenile delinquency in the U.S.?
c. Does education play a role in reducing juvenile delinquents' return to crime?
Once you complete your list, review your questions in order to choose a usable one that is neither too broad nor too narrow. In this case, the best research question is "c." Question "a" is too narrow, since it can be answered with a simple statistic. Question "b" is too broad; it implies that the researcher will cover many tactics for reducing juvenile delinquency that could be used throughout the country. Question "c," on the other hand, is focused enough to research in some depth. (EXERCISE 2)

EXERCISE 1 : CAN THE TOPIC BE RESEARCHED?

Which of these questions cannot be easily or fully researched (given that you are writing a research paper right now, at the end of the 20th century, 1995-2000)?

Click on the letter to see if that question has research potential.

Question A:

Do the economies that result from a trash burning plant outweigh or not outweigh its environmental impact?
Question B:
Is sexual preference a result of nature (physically based) or nurture (socially-culturally based)?
Question C:
Does MacDonald's or Burger King make a better burger?
Question D:
Is prozac a good way to treat clinical depression in certain cases?
Question E:
Is there a link between hours of television viewing and violent behavior in children aged 8-14?

EXERCISE 2: IS THE QUESTION TOO BROAD OR TOO NARROW

Below are five exercises designed to improve your ability to select a good research question. Click on any letter to start the exercise.

EXERCISE 3: EVALUATE YOUR OWN RESEARCH QUESTION

Ask the following 8 questions to evaluate the quality of your research question and the ease with which you should be able to answer it:

  1. Does the question deal with a topic or issue that interests me enough to spark my own thoughts and opinions?

  2. Is the question easily and fully researchable?

  3. What type of information do I need to answer the research question?
    e.g., The research question, "What impact has deregulation had on commercial airline safety?," will obviously require certain types of information:
    • statistics on airline crashes before and after
    • statistics on other safety problems before and after
    • information about maintenance practices before and after
    • information about government safety requirements before and after
  4. Is the scope of this information reasonable? (e.g., can I really research 30 on-line writing programs developed over a span of 10 years?)

  5. Given the type and scope of the information that I need, is my question too broad, too narrow, or o.k.?

  6. What sources will have the type of information that I need to answer the research question (journals, books, internet resources, government documents, people)?

  7. Can I access these sources?

  8. Given my answers to the above questions, do I have a good quality research question that I actually will be able to answer by doing research?

Evaluation Tip: Contact your course tutor if you're not sure whether your research question fulfills the assignment.

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