Turning a Topic into a Question
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Once you settle on a topic you’re genuinely curious about, formulate questions you think would be worth investigating. As you explore, move from broad to specific by asking more precise questions. Ask exactly what you want to learn, and your task will emerge into focus.
| BROAD OVERVIEW | Family structures |
| TOPIC | Blended families |
| SPECIFIC QUESTION | How do blended families today differ from those a century ago? |
| BROAD OVERVIEW | Contemporary architecture |
| TOPIC | Landscape architecture |
| SPECIFIC QUESTION | In what ways have the principles of landscape architecture shaped the city’s green design? |
If your question is too broad, you’ll be swamped with information. If it has been overdone, you’ll struggle to sound fresh. If you haven’t settled on a debatable issue, your argument will sound flat. Review Take Action: Focusing a Research Question to help focus your research questions.
Settling on a research question is a big step in any research project. Keep in mind, however, that until you start your research, you can’t know how fruitful your initial question will be. If it doesn’t lead you to definite facts or reliable opinions, or if it doesn’t encourage you to think critically about those facts or opinions, reword it or throw it out and ask a new question.
Learning by Doing Polling Your Peers
Learning by Doing
Polling Your Peers
On a blank page, list your three most interesting research ideas with a brief description of each topic’s potential. Working with a small group or the whole class, pass your page to the person next to you. On the page you receive, mark a check by the idea that you find most intriguing. Repeat this process until everyone has responded to each page and your page returns to you. Taking into account the group’s check marks, turn one topic into a research question, and then outline your tentative approach to it. Decide whether you’ve found the question you want to explore. Repeat the process if the group wants more response.