Developing a Research Question

1. Developing a Research Question “Developing a Research Question” by Annie Knight and Luis Pedroza, Santa Ana College, is licensed under CC BY SA 4.0

2. Introduction This tutorial will help you develop a research question in order to make your research more meaningful and focused. “Question Mark” by The Italian Voice is licensed under CC BY 2.0

3. Why is developing a research question important? When beginning our research, whether it be for a class assignment or our own personal interest, we may have a basic idea of a topic we want to learn more about, such as global warming or the legalization of marijuana. “Question Mark” by Marco Bellucci is licensed under CC BY 2.0

4. Often our topics are very broad, and researching every aspect of them would be overwhelming ... “Overwhelmed” by Elizabeth M is licensed under CC BY 2.0

5. Therefore, it is important to ask questions about a topic to figure out exactly what you want to know. Asking questions about a topic will also reveal what aspects of the topic are most meaningful to you. “Why?” by Art Poskanzer is licensed under CC BY 2.0

6. Brainstorming It is helpful to brainstorm or consider the following questions: • What are you interested to learn more about the topic and why? • What do you know so far about the topic? When thinking about or discussing your topic, it is helpful to write down and brainstorm your ideas and thoughts. This will help you keep track of your thoughts as they evolve throughout your research process. Brainstorm Example “#whyopen brainstorm” by Laila Le Guen is licensed under CC BY 2.0

7. Developing Thoughtful Questions Once you have identified what you find interesting or important about the topic, try creating some questions to help focus your research. Here are words you can use to start your questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? “How can I get better at asking questions ...” by Sacha Chua is licensed under CC BY 2.0

8. Developing Thoughtful Questions For example, if you are interested in researching the legalization of marijuana, you could ask questions such as: • Who would benefit from the legalization of marijuana? • Why do people argue against the legalization of marijuana? • How could the legalization of marijuana affect our health care system? “2015-02-05 How can I organize my questions - and why” by Sacha Chua is licensed under CC BY 2.0

9. Talk about it! In addition to the work you've done so far on developing research questions and identifying keywords to help you proceed with your research, it is important to talk to others about your topic as a way to gain new ideas and perspectives. Try talking to your friends, family, colleagues, classmates, instructor, librarians, and other people you trust. “Discussion” by Olivia Chow is licensed under CC BY NC 2.0

10. Consider the Possibilities Remember that research is an iterative and ongoing process. The more information sources you find on your topic, the more you can think about your topic from different and more informative viewpoints. This will help you continue to develop your research questions into more meaningful research pathways you haven’t thought of before. “My Tattoo, One Year Later” by Telly Telly is licensed under CC BY 2.0

11. Next Steps • Create a document where you can continue to brainstorm your topic and research questions. • Talk to people you trust about your topic to gain feedback and different perspectives. • Continue searching for additional information sources using keywords and phrases discovered through your brainstorming. • Continue to develop your research question and focus of your topic as you consider new perspectives discovered through your research. “To Do” by Choko is licensed under CC BY 2.0

12. Assessment: Practicing What You Learned • Create a brainstorm about the topic you have chosen to research this term, based on your answers to the following questions. • What is your research topic of interest? • What interests you about this topic? • What do you know so far about the topic? Refer back to your major research findings from previous assignments. • What are you interested to learn more about this topic and why? • Based on your answers to the questions above, develop two research questions that you think will help you further explore your topic meaningfully. • From the two research questions you’ve developed, list the keywords and phrases you think will help you continue researching your topic further.