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Generate Potential Research Questions

Most research questions begin with the words what, why, when, where, who, or how. Some research questions use the words would or could to ask whether something is possible. Still others use the word should to analyze the appropriateness of a particular action, policy, procedure, or decision. Questions can focus on the following:

Information: what is known — and not known — about a subject
History: what has occurred in the past that is relevant to a subject
Assumptions: what conclusions — merited or not — writers and readers have already made about a subject
Goals: what the writers and readers involved in this conversation want to see happen (or not happen)
Outcomes: what has happened so far, or what is likely to happen
Policies: what the best procedures are for carrying out actions or for making decisions

Questions can also lead you to engage in the following kinds of thinking processes. These processes will be shaped, in turn, by your purpose and role as an author (see Part Two).

Reflecting: considering the significance of a subject
Reporting: seeking information; conveying what is known about a subject
Analyzing: looking for similarities and differences among subjects or aspects of a subject; asking what leads to a specific result; asking about a series of events
Evaluating: asking about strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, or appropriateness
Problem solving: defining problems, considering the outcomes of a problem, assessing potential solutions, and/or offering solutions
Advocating: advancing arguments about a subject

By combining a specific focus, such as assumptions or goals, with a specific type of thinking process, such as problem solving, you can create carefully tailored research questions, such as the ones that featured writer Jennie Tillson considered for her essay about the cost of college.

What assumptions have shaped debates about rising tuitions?

What assumptions have worked against a resolution of this problem?

Why have college administrators been unable (or unwilling) to control tuition hikes?

Why do so many families take out loans to pay for a college education?

What can the government do to help reduce tuition costs?

What can students do to manage tuition costs?

Use specific question words to start generating potential research questions. If you are interested in conducting an analysis, for example, ask questions using the words what, why, when, where, who, and how. If you want to explore goals and outcomes, use the words would or could. If the conversation focuses on determining an appropriate course of action, generate questions using the word should. Consider the differences among these questions:

What are the benefits of a college education?

Would it be feasible to require colleges and universities to commit 5 percent of their endowments to financial aid?

Should the U.S. Congress pass legislation to control tuition costs?

Each question would lead to differences in how to search for and select sources of information, what role to adopt as a writer, and how to organize and design the document.