Early research questions typically lack focus. You can narrow the scope of your question by looking for vague words and phrases and replacing them with more specific words or phrases. The process of moving from a broad research question to one that might be addressed effectively in an academic essay might produce the following sequence:

Original Question:

What is behind the increased popularity of women’s sports?

Refined:

What has led to the increased popularity of women’s sports in colleges and universities?

Further Refined:

How has Title IX increased opportunities for women athletes in American colleges and universities?

In this example, the writer has narrowed the scope of the research question in two ways. First, the writer has shifted the focus from women’s sports in general to women’s sports in American colleges and universities. Second, the writer has moved from a general focus on the increased popularity of women’s sports to a more specific focus on the opportunities brought about by Title IX, the federal legislation that mandated equal opportunities for women athletes.