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.
Should the FCC broaden its definition of indecent programming to include violence?
Which geological formations are the safest repositories for nuclear waste?
What was Marcus Garvey’s contribution to the fight for racial equality?
How can governments and zoos help preserve Asia’s endangered snow leopard?
Why was amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann such a controversial figure in his own time?
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