Creating a Good Research Question

Summary

This video demystifies the concept of a research question, a crucial element in academic writing. It emphasizes the importance of having a clear, focused, and arguable research question to guide your research and help formulate a strong thesis statement. The video provides a step-by-step approach for students to develop their research questions, including identifying personal interests, exploring relevant issues, generating insightful questions, and refining them for clarity and depth. Common pitfalls in question formulation are highlighted, along with essential guidelines for creating effective research questions that are manageable and open to exploration.

Takeaways

• 📚 A research question is a clear, focused, and arguable question that centers your research and writing.
• 🔍 Research questions help maintain focus and coherence in your writing, preventing aimless content.
• 📝 The answer to your research question will become the thesis statement of your paper.
• 💡 Start by identifying an issue that interests you and connect it to your course material.
• 🌐 Conduct preliminary research to gather ideas and insights related to your topic of interest.
• ❓ Formulate questions based on your findings that explore the significance of the issue.
• 🚫 Avoid weak research questions that have definitive answers; instead, aim for questions that encourage exploration.
• 🔄 Strong research questions should require you to take a stance and provide support for your argument.
• ⚖️ Questions should be specific enough to tackle within your assigned page limit to maintain focus.
• ✅ Follow guidelines to develop effective research questions, making the process simpler and less frustrating.

Q & A

What is a research question?

A research question is a clear, focused, concise, complex, and arguable question that centers your research.

Why is a research question important in academic writing?

A research question helps maintain focus in your research and writing, guiding your argument and forming the basis of your thesis statement.

What is the first step in developing a research question?

The first step is to find an issue that interests you, connecting it to the subject of your class.

How can preliminary research help in formulating a research question?

Preliminary research helps explore the issue and generate ideas by identifying existing discussions and gaps in knowledge.

What is an example of a bad research question, and why?

A bad question would be 'When did the first woman graduate with a degree in computer science?' because it has a single answer and lacks depth for exploration.

What makes a research question strong?

A strong research question is arguable, complex, and allows for multiple perspectives or answers.

What should you avoid when creating research questions?

Avoid yes or no questions and overly broad questions that exceed your page limit.

Why is it important to refine your research question?

Refining your research question ensures that it is manageable, focused, and suitable for in-depth exploration within your assignment's constraints.

What is the relationship between a research question and a thesis statement?

The answer to your research question will typically evolve into your thesis statement, which represents the main argument of your paper.

How can personal interests influence research questions?

Incorporating personal interests into research questions can lead to more engaging and meaningful exploration of the topic.