Entry points to research
R-12
As you pose preliminary research questions, you may wonder where and how to enter a research conversation. The following questions may help you find an entry point for your research.
- Who are the major writers or thinkers in the debate? What positions have they taken? What claims have they made?
- What makes this problem complex?
- How and why do the major writers or thinkers disagree?
- What’s at stake for the writers and thinkers in the debate?
- How does each side in the debate define the “So what?” question of their side?
- What hasn’t been said in this conversation and needs to be pointed out?
As you orient yourself, try using the following statements to help you find points of entry in a research conversation.
On one side of the debate is position X, on the other side is Y, but there is a middle position Z.
The conventional view about the problem or issue needs to be challenged because. . . .
Key details in this debate that have been overlooked are. . . .
Researchers have drawn conclusion X from the evidence, but one could also draw conclusion Y.
