Reflect on Your Writing Situation

As you consider potential research questions, pay attention to your purpose and role. Your efforts to collect information should help you accomplish your purpose and address your readers’ needs, interests, values, and beliefs. Keep in mind, however, that as you learn more about your subject, you might refine your purpose. In turn, that might lead to changes in your research question. If you think of your research question as a flexible guide — as a question subject to revision — you can increase the effectiveness of your document.