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Developing Research Topics and Questions

Student Before You Start 9:55

Learning Outcomes

After using this tutorial, you will be able to:

  • Identify the criteria for an appropriate research topic
  • Select a research topic by asking and answering critical questions
  • Write a strong research question

Deciding on a Research Topic

Create a list of things that make you angry, sad, excited, or curious.
Do an internet search on a potential topic and examine what is out there.
Look at current trends in your field in professional newsletters, blogs, and newspapers.
Draw or outline a concept map to think through what you know and what questions you have.
Sample research topic Mental health and college students.

What Is a Research Question?

One definition of a research question is:

“Perceived knowledge deficit within a subject area or field of study.” (Hulley et al., 2007)

Academic research papers may only have one research question. Large projects like dissertations may have multiple research questions.

Characteristics of a Strong Research Question

  • Clear Easily understood by the reader
  • Focused Can be addressed in the page length of the assignment
  • Concise Written in as few words as possible
  • Complex Can’t be answered with just yes or no
  • Arguable Solutions are open for debate
  • Neutral Language is kept unbiased

What NOT to Do

Avoid these characteristics

Characteristics of unsuccessful research questions:

  • Questions on brand new (<1 year old) trends and events
  • Ethical questions about right/wrong or legal/illegal
  • Questions that are impossible to answer
  • Overly broad questions
  • Questions that lack evidence
  • Binary or yes/no or either/or questions
  • Biased or leading questions

Weak vs. Strong Question Examples

Weak question
Weak — ethical, broad, binary Is it irresponsible not to vote in all elections you qualify for?
Strong question
Stronger question What factors influenced U.S. voters who abstained from participating in the 2020 presidential election?
Weak question
Weak — unanswerable, lacks evidence, biased Why are cat people more introverted and dog people more extroverted?
Strong question
Stronger question How does the presence of household pets impact youth development?

From a Draft Question to a Final Question

Draft research question What kinds of mental health support are provided for college students?

When refining research questions, consider the following specifics:

Geography
Time
Population
Specific Nouns
Disciplinary Approach

While doing research, pay attention to what sources are available on your topic and how they talk about these specifics. This will clue you in to where you can focus your question more narrowly. After applying these concepts to a sample research question, it gets transformed into a more specific and answerable question.

Final research question What administrative communication techniques are most impactful on informing first-generation undergraduate students in the United States about online mental health support since COVID-19?

Breakdown of final research question:

  • Geography – United States
  • Time – Since COVID-19
  • Population – First-generation undergraduate students
  • Specific Nouns – Online
  • Disciplinary Approach – Higher education

References

  • How to write a research question. (2018, August 8). The Writing Center. writingcenter.gmu.edu
  • Hulley, S. B., Cummings, S. R., Browner, W. S., & Newman, T. B. (2006). Designing clinical research (3rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  • Kirker, M. J. (2020). The Research Question [PowerPoint slides]. Honors College, George Mason University.

More Resources

If you have questions or need more help, review our other tutorials on research basics or reach out to us through Ask a Librarian.