How to Write a Research Question
Pick a general area of research that interests you., Do some preliminary research., Brainstorm ideas., Avoid questions that have been overdone.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Pick a general area of research that interests you.
You’re likely writing your paper for a particular class.
If you’re taking something like Introduction to Biology, try narrowing down the field a bit to find out what interests you.
What kind of biology will you write about? Is it connected to an experiment you will conduct? What are the physical limitations of your experiment? All of these answers will help you narrow your question.
Maybe you want to write specifically on botany, and even narrower, on grafting in plants.
Or say you’re in a humanities field, such as history.
If you’re class is An Overview of American History, maybe you want to narrow it specifically to the Civil War, and then narrow it down even more to Lincoln’s influence on the Civil War. -
Step 2: Do some preliminary research.
At this point, it’s fine to use internet search engines like Google and Wikipedia.
You’re just trying to get a general idea of the topic.
Read general articles that discuss the topic you are thinking about discussing in your paper, and jot down things that catch your attention. , What fascinates you about your given topic? Why did you choose it in the first place? Draw a diagram on a paper with the main topic in the center.
Branch ideas off the center.
Continue branching until you come up with a branch that seems interesting to you; that will be what you focus your question on.
For example, if you start with the Civil War as your main topic, one branch could be Lincoln’s influence, which could lead to another branch about Lincoln’s childhood.
If it interests you, your research could explore how Lincoln’s childhood affected his decision making during the Civil War. , You want your question to be as original as possible, especially if you are in a postgraduate program.
As an undergraduate, your professor is mainly looking to see that you can research and think through an argument, but by the time you’re a postgraduate, your professor will be looking to see if you can make an original argument.
If you run internet searches on the topic you are thinking about discussing, and you find that the research topic you have in mind has been answered in many different books and documents, you may want to come up with a different topic. -
Step 3: Brainstorm ideas.
-
Step 4: Avoid questions that have been overdone.
Detailed Guide
You’re likely writing your paper for a particular class.
If you’re taking something like Introduction to Biology, try narrowing down the field a bit to find out what interests you.
What kind of biology will you write about? Is it connected to an experiment you will conduct? What are the physical limitations of your experiment? All of these answers will help you narrow your question.
Maybe you want to write specifically on botany, and even narrower, on grafting in plants.
Or say you’re in a humanities field, such as history.
If you’re class is An Overview of American History, maybe you want to narrow it specifically to the Civil War, and then narrow it down even more to Lincoln’s influence on the Civil War.
At this point, it’s fine to use internet search engines like Google and Wikipedia.
You’re just trying to get a general idea of the topic.
Read general articles that discuss the topic you are thinking about discussing in your paper, and jot down things that catch your attention. , What fascinates you about your given topic? Why did you choose it in the first place? Draw a diagram on a paper with the main topic in the center.
Branch ideas off the center.
Continue branching until you come up with a branch that seems interesting to you; that will be what you focus your question on.
For example, if you start with the Civil War as your main topic, one branch could be Lincoln’s influence, which could lead to another branch about Lincoln’s childhood.
If it interests you, your research could explore how Lincoln’s childhood affected his decision making during the Civil War. , You want your question to be as original as possible, especially if you are in a postgraduate program.
As an undergraduate, your professor is mainly looking to see that you can research and think through an argument, but by the time you’re a postgraduate, your professor will be looking to see if you can make an original argument.
If you run internet searches on the topic you are thinking about discussing, and you find that the research topic you have in mind has been answered in many different books and documents, you may want to come up with a different topic.
About the Author
Samantha Gonzales
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: