Developing Your Research Question
The first step in the research process is to establish the research question. The research question will determine the purpose of your paper or project. In a research paper, the emphasis is on generating a unique question and then synthesizing diverse sources into a coherent paper that supports your argument about the topic. You should combine your own ideas about the topic with information you have gathered through research.
After you have your topic, you can develop a research question. Merely presenting a topic in the form of a question does not transform it into a good research question.
Narrowing the General Topic
- Pose the general topic in the form of a question, i.e. "What do I need to know in order to understand rock and roll?"
- Skim through some general resources (encyclopedias, books, journals, pamphlets, etc.) to find answers to the question. This will help you to gain a focus. Look for the "who, what, when, and where" of rock and roll.
- Construct a list of answers to the question that you posed. When working in groups, it might be best to independently create lists of answers. Select your topic from the list of answers.
- Description of rock and roll music
- History of rock and roll
- The effect of rock and roll on popular culture
- Rock and roll musicians
- Make a list of subtopics for the topic you selected that can be used to focus your research.
- The effect of rock and roll on popular culture
- Musical genres that were inspired by rock and roll
- Influence of rock and roll on fashion
- Influential rock and roll artists
- Effect of rock and roll on "baby boomers"
- Influence of rock and roll on dance
Question
- Since its origination in the 1950's, how has rock and roll influenced popular culture?
Research Question Checklist
- The question is of interest to you, the researcher.
- Reliable sources of information on the topic are available to you.
- The question is not too broad, i.e. "What effect has rock and roll music had in America?"
- The question is not too narrow, i.e. "What role have xylophones played in rock and roll?"
- The question raises more questions.
| Research Topic | Research Question |
|---|---|
|
| |
| BROAD "What forces affect race relations in America?" |
NARROWER "How do corporate hiring practices affect race relations in Indianapolis?" |
| Likewise, the question "What is the percentage of racial minorities holding management positions in corporate offices in Indianapolis?" is much too specific and would yield, at best, a statistic that could become part of a larger argument. | |
|
| |
| NEUTRAL "How does KFC market its low-fat food offerings?" |
MAY YIELD an ARGUMENT or POSITION "Does KFC put more money into marketing its high-fat food offerings than its lower-fat ones?" |
| The latter question is somewhat better, since it may lead you to take a stance or formulate an argument about consumer awareness or benefit. | |
|
| |
| OBJECTIVE (factual) "How much time do youth between the ages of 10 and 15 spend playing video games?" |
SUBJECTIVE (an issue about which you can take a side) "What are the effects of video-gaming on the attention spans of youth between the ages of 10 and 15?" |
| The first question is likely to lead to some data, though not necessarily to an argument or issue. The second question is somewhat better, since it might lead you to formulate an argument for or against time spent playing video games. | |
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| |
| OPEN-ENDED IDEA "Does the author of this text use allusion?" |
GIVES DIRECTION TO RESEARCH "Does the ironic use of allusion in this text reveal anything about the author's unwillingness to divulge his political commitments?" |
| The second question gives focus by putting the use of allusion into the specific context of a question about the author’s political commitments and perhaps also about the circumstances under which the text was produced. | |
Adapted from:
- Ballenger, B.P. (2003). The first week. In The curious researcher: a guide to writing research papers (pp. 25-62). New York: Longman.
- Rodrigues, D. (2000). The research process in the information age. In The research paper and the World Wide Web (pp. 1-15). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Sorenson, S. (1995). Developing the subject. In How to write research papers (pp. 5-15). New York: Macmillan.
- Formulating Your Research Question - Vanderbilt University
