How to write a STRONG research question for research papers

Summary

Chelsea Seaburn's video tutorial offers a comprehensive guide to crafting a robust research question. She outlines the three key qualities of an effective question: conciseness, complexity, and arguability. Chelsea walks viewers through six steps, from finding a general topic to refining a research question. She emphasizes the importance of asking open-ended questions that require explanation or defense, ensuring the question's scope aligns with the project's page limit. The video also includes a giveaway for an Acer desktop monitor to celebrate the channel's community.

Takeaways

• 📚 A research question is essential in academic writing, guiding your research and helping form a thesis statement.
• 🎯 A strong research question should be concise, complex, and arguable—no fluff, depth required, and it should invite debate.
• 🌱 Start by choosing a general topic that interests you; this will help keep you engaged throughout the research process.
• 🔍 Do preliminary research by skimming through 3-5 sources to ensure the topic is researchable and captures your interest.
• 🎯 Narrow your topic down to a specific niche, such as going from animals to emotional support animals to dogs.
• ❓ Within your niche, start asking questions to find gaps or issues in current research—this is called identifying a research problem.
• 📝 Write 2-3 working research questions to explore different angles of your topic and choose the best one later.
• 🔄 Revise and refine your research question as your research evolves—it’s normal for the question to shift slightly as you gather more information.
• ❌ Avoid yes/no questions and those that are either too broad or too narrow—your question should be open-ended and fit your paper’s length.
• 💡 Ensure your research question requires explanation or defense, offering depth and complexity beyond simple answers.

Q & A

What is a research question, and why is it important?

A research question is a central question around which academic research is focused. It helps guide the research process, ensuring that it is focused and structured. A strong research question is concise, complex, and arguable.

What are the three qualities that make a strong research question?

A strong research question is concise, meaning it is stated with precise language and no unnecessary information. It is complex, meaning it cannot be answered with a simple Google search and requires in-depth exploration. Finally, it is arguable, meaning it requires the researcher to take a position or explore different viewpoints.

How can you develop a general topic for your research question?

You should start with a broad topic that interests you. This will keep you engaged throughout the research process. It is possible to connect your personal interests to academic topics by finding overlapping areas of inquiry.

Why is preliminary research important when developing a research question?

Preliminary research helps ensure that your chosen topic is researchable and has enough depth. It also helps you refine your topic and find aspects that pique your interest before fully committing to a specific research question.

What does it mean to 'narrow down to a specific niche' in research?

Narrowing down to a specific niche means focusing on a more specific area within your broader topic. For example, if your broad topic is animals and their effects on depression, you might narrow it down to emotional support dogs, and further to a specific breed like corgis.

What should you focus on when asking questions within your research niche?

When asking questions within your niche, you should look for gaps or issues in the existing research. This will help you identify the research problem that your research question will address.

Why is it beneficial to write multiple working research questions?

Writing two or three working research questions gives you different angles to view your research from. This helps you refine your focus and select the best, most viable question to pursue.

What are some common mistakes when writing a research question?

Common mistakes include making the question too broad, including multiple topics in one question, or asking a yes-or-no question. A good research question should focus on a single topic, be open-ended, and allow for exploration or defense of an answer.

How can you revise and refine your research question as you progress?

Your research question is a starting point, and as you conduct more research, you may find that it needs to shift or change slightly. This is normal and helps ensure that your research question stays relevant to your findings.

What are the three rules of thumb for creating a strong research question?

The three rules of thumb are: ask open-ended questions (avoid yes-or-no questions), ensure the question can be fully answered within your page limit, and ask a question that requires explanation or defense, rather than something that can be answered simply.