Research questions

Working within the guidelines of your assignment, pose a question that seems worth researching. Here, for example, are some preliminary questions jotted down by students enrolled in a variety of classes in different disciplines.

Posing a well-formed question helps you know what to do during your research and writing: you need to answer the question with a persuasive argument. A question gives you more direction than a simple statement of topic. With a question in mind, you can pursue relevant information and recognize important source materials.

As you formulate possible questions, make sure that they are appropriate lines of inquiry for a research paper. Choose questions that are narrow (not too broad), challenging (not too bland), and grounded (not too speculative).

Exercise: Research questions