How to Write a Strong Research Question in One Minute 👈

Summary

David from PeakWriting addresses a common challenge in research projects: formulating a research question. He emphasizes the distinction between a search and research, advocating for questions that require exploration and generate a list of answers. David provides techniques to refine questions, avoiding unanswerable, opinion-based, and 'why' questions. His guidance includes narrowing or broadening questions, ensuring they are answerable and manageable within the researcher's capabilities and resources.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Start with a topic: The first step in research is identifying a topic of interest for the project.
• 🤔 Formulate a research question: To guide your research, develop a question that can be answered through your study.
• 📝 Understand the difference: Distinguish between a 'search' which seeks a single answer, and 'research' which explores multiple answers to a question.
• 📉 Transform simple questions: Take a simple query and turn it into a complex research question that requires in-depth investigation.
• 📚 Predict and list: Before researching, predict a list of potential answers or factors that will guide your research direction.
• 📉 Narrow down when necessary: As research progresses, it may become clear that the initial question needs to be narrowed for focus and manageability.
• 📊 Broaden if too narrow: Conversely, if the research question is too specific, consider broadening it to encompass a wider range of answers.
• ✅ Revise the question: Adjust the research question as the research evolves to better fit the findings and maintain focus.
• ❌ Avoid unanswerable questions: Ensure the research question is answerable and does not delve into philosophical or speculative areas.
• 🚫 Steer clear of opinions: A research paper should be objective and avoid questions that lead to subjective opinions rather than factual findings.
• ❓ Convert 'why' to 'what' or 'how': 'Why' questions may lead to ambiguous answers; reframe them to be more specific and answerable.
• 📋 Check for approval: Before diving into research, ensure that your research question is approved by your instructor or advisor.
• 🧐 Maintain objectivity: Approach the research with an objective mindset, aiming to answer the research question rather than promoting personal beliefs.
• 🔍 Ensure answerability: The research question should be something that can be answered within the scope of your research method and time constraints.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Assess feasibility: Consider whether you have the necessary knowledge, experience, skills, equipment, time, and funds to conduct the research.

Q & A

What is the main problem David addresses in the script?

The main problem David addresses is the challenge students face in knowing how to conduct research on their given topic after they have identified it.

Why is a research question essential for a research project?

A research question is essential because it provides direction and focus for the research, guiding the researcher to find all the necessary information.

What is the difference between a search and research according to David?

A search looks for one answer to a specific question, while research involves looking for multiple answers to one question, often requiring a more in-depth exploration.

How does David suggest turning a simple question into a research question?

David suggests turning a simple question into a research question by phrasing it in a way that requires a list of answers, indicating multiple aspects or factors to be explored.

What is an example of a research question provided by David?

An example of a research question provided by David is 'In what ways does a service dog improve life for cancer patients?'

Why is it necessary to predict a list before starting the research?

Predicting a list before starting the research helps the researcher to know exactly what to look for and gives direction to the research process.

What are the three main factors David identifies as fueling world population growth in the 20th century?

The three main factors identified by David are advances in medicine, advances in sanitation, and advances in nutrition.

Why is it important to narrow down a research question during the research process?

Narrowing down a research question is important to make the research more manageable and focused, ensuring that the researcher can cover the topic in depth within the constraints of their paper length or research scope.

What is the revised research question David suggests for the topic of world population growth?

The revised research question David suggests is 'What advances in medicine influenced world population in the last century?'

Why should a researcher avoid unanswerable questions in their research?

Unanswerable questions, such as those asking for opinions or motives, do not elicit clear and specific answers suitable for a research paper, which requires objective and factual information.

What is the checklist David provides for formulating a good research question?

The checklist includes ensuring the question is approved, objective, answerable with the available research methods and time, and doable with the researcher's knowledge, experience, skills, and resources.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Crafting a Research Question

David from PeakWriting addresses the common challenge students face in initiating research projects. He emphasizes the importance of formulating a research question to provide direction and focus. A research question should be a concise inquiry that guides the research process and is answerable through research findings. David illustrates the distinction between a search, which seeks a single answer, and research, which explores multiple answers to a question. He provides examples to demonstrate how to transform simple questions into research questions that necessitate a list of findings, thereby giving the research a clear path. The summary also touches on the need to predict and list potential findings before starting the research, and the natural process of narrowing or broadening the research question as the research progresses.

05:02

🚫 Avoiding Common Research Question Pitfalls

In the second paragraph, David discusses how to refine a research question to avoid common pitfalls. He suggests transforming a straightforward 'yes' or 'no' question into one that generates a list of specific answers, which aids in a more in-depth analysis. David outlines three traps to avoid: unanswerable questions, questions that solicit opinions rather than facts, and 'why' questions that may lead to speculative answers. He advises turning 'why' questions into 'what' or 'how' questions to obtain clear and specific responses. The summary also includes a checklist for ensuring the research question is approved, objective, answerable, and feasible within the researcher's capabilities and resources. David concludes by encouraging viewers to consider these factors when formulating their research questions and offers further guidance on the entire research paper process.

Keywords

💡Research Question

A research question is a focused inquiry that guides the direction of a research project. It is a one-sentence question that aims to be answered through research. In the video, the research question is central to the theme as it helps students to have a clear direction and focus for their research. For example, turning 'Does a service dog improve life for cancer patients?' into 'In what ways does a service dog improve life for cancer patients?' illustrates how a research question can lead to a deeper exploration of the topic.

💡Research

Research is the systematic investigation and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. The video distinguishes between 'search' and 'research,' emphasizing that while a search seeks a single answer, research involves looking for multiple answers to a complex question. The script uses the example of the speed of light to illustrate a search, whereas the impact of service dogs on cancer patients exemplifies a research topic.

💡Topic

A topic in the context of the video refers to the general subject or area of interest that a student chooses to explore in their research project. Topics are the starting point for formulating a research question. For instance, the script mentions 'service dogs' and 'world population growth' as topics that students might investigate, which then need to be developed into more specific research questions.

💡Direction

Direction in the video refers to the specific path or focus that a research question provides to a student's investigation. It helps to ensure that the research is targeted and not too broad or narrow. The script explains that a good research question gives research a direction, as seen when the question about world population growth is turned into one about the factors that fueled that growth.

💡Narrowing

Narrowing is the process of making a research question more specific to focus on a particular aspect of the topic. The video mentions that as research progresses, students may find it necessary to narrow their initial broad question to a more manageable scope. An example given is narrowing down the question about world population growth to focusing on advances in medicine as a factor.

💡Broadening

Broadening, as discussed in the video, is the opposite of narrowing and involves expanding the scope of a research question when it is too narrow. The script provides the example of broadening a question about the effects of aspartame on a specific group of women to a more general question about the effects of aspartame on women who suffer from migraines.

💡List

In the context of the video, a list refers to the enumerated factors, ways, or effects that a research question should aim to uncover. The script emphasizes that a good research question should generate a list of answers, which helps in organizing the research and ensuring a comprehensive investigation of the topic. For example, the question about what fueled world population growth leads to a list of factors such as advances in medicine, sanitation, and nutrition.

💡Effectiveness

Effectiveness in the video pertains to the extent to which a particular intervention or treatment achieves its intended result. The script uses the example of how medications are effective in treating symptoms of ADHD in high school students, turning a yes/no question into a research question that explores the effectiveness of different medications.

💡Traps

Traps in the video refer to common pitfalls that students should avoid when formulating their research questions. The script outlines three traps: unanswerable questions, opinion-based questions, and 'why' questions that do not elicit clear and specific answers. These traps can lead to research that is not objective, answerable, or feasible.

💡Objectivity

Objectivity is the quality of being unbiased and based on facts rather than personal feelings or opinions. The video stresses the importance of maintaining objectivity in research to ensure that the investigation is focused on answering the research question rather than promoting a personal viewpoint. An example provided is the distinction between having a personal opinion about protecting coral reefs and conducting an objective research paper on the topic.

💡Feasibility

Feasibility in the video refers to the practicality of conducting a research project, considering factors such as time, resources, and the researcher's capabilities. The script advises students to ensure that their research questions are doable, taking into account whether they have the necessary knowledge, experience, skills, equipment, and funds to carry out the research.

Highlights

The most common problem in research projects is determining what to do after getting a topic.

A research question provides direction and focus for conducting research on a topic.

A research question is a one-sentence question about the topic that gets answered through research.

The difference between search and research is that research looks for multiple answers to one question.

Transforming a simple question into a research question helps in generating a list of things to research.

Example: Turning 'Does a service dog improve life for cancer patients?' into a research question.

Research questions should guide you to look for specific aspects, like ways or factors.

Another example: Transforming 'How much did world population grow in the 20th century?' into a research question.

Research questions help in narrowing down the focus to a more manageable scope.

Revising the initial question based on research findings is a natural part of the research process.

Broadening a research question may be necessary if the initial question is too narrow.

A good research question should generate a list of answers to explore.

Avoid unanswerable questions that do not lead to a clear research direction.

Opinion-based questions should be reframed to generate a list of researchable features or factors.

Why questions are often not suitable for research as they may require exploring motives rather than facts.

A checklist for evaluating research questions includes approval, objectivity, answerability, and doability.

Ensure the research question is approved by the instructor or thesis advisor before starting research.

Maintain objectivity in the research question to avoid bias.

The research question should be answerable with the available research methods and time.

Consider if you have the necessary knowledge, experience, skills, equipment, time, and funds to conduct the research.

Transcripts

Hi, this is David from PeakWriting.

And I want to talk about the problem that I most often see when helping students with their research projects. And that problem is this:

You get your topic. But after you have that topic, what next? How do you go about conducting research on that topic?

And the answer is, with a research question.

With a research question, you now have a direction to your research, and a focus for finding all of the things that you need to find.

Okay, let's take a look at a quick and simple technique that I often give for this problem.

First, what is a research question? It's a one sentence question about your topic that gets answered with your research.

Let's unpack that a little bit. First, research, there's a big difference between search and research.

A search looks for one answer to a specific question. What's the speed of light?

Not a problem should take us about the speed of light to find out that answer.

However, when researching, you're looking for multiple answers to one question. Here's an example.

Does a service dog improve life for cancer patients? A quick Google search provides an answer in about three seconds.

But now, let's turn that into a research question. In what ways does a service dog improve life for cancer patients?

That question requires research. But even before diving into the research,

you should be able to predict a list that will guide your research. Way number one it improves, way number two, way number three.

In other words, you now know that you'll be looking for ways in your research. Your research now has a direction.

You know exactly what you'll be looking for about the use of service dogs in medicine. Here's another example.

How much did world population grow in the 20th century? The answer is just a Google away: about 7 billion.

Case closed. Paper over. But now let's turn that into a research question that generates a list.

What fueled world population growth in the 20th century? That question requires research, it requires a list that must be researched.

Factor one that influenced the growth. factor two that influenced the growth, factor three.

This list means that we know exactly what to look for--the factors that influenced world population during that time period.

And sure enough, as we begin researching, we quickly discovered the three main

factors--advances in medicine, factor two advances in sanitation, factor three advances in nutrition.

Moreover, you also in your research are discovering multiple advances that were made in medicine,

multiple advances in sanitation, and nutrition. Covering just one set of those advances might be all you can manage in your six to 10 page

paper, or whatever length it is. In other words, you started out with a strong initial direction.

And now your research has made it clear, you need to narrow the question. This is both natural and expected.

In this case, we would focus either on the advances in medicine or in sanitation, or in nutrition.

So we revised our initial question: what advances in medicine influenced world population in the last century.

Now your list would be medical advance number one, medical advance number two, medical advance number three.

Now. on the other hand, there may also be times when you need to broaden your question.

For example, you begin to research the effects of artificial sweeteners, but then you realize your question may be too narrow.

How did aspartame affect postmenopausal women in the 1980s who suffered from migraines?

So let's broaden that research question to How does aspartame affect women who

suffer from migraines? Now you'll have a much easier time finding answers about effect number one,

effect number two, effect number three. Narrowing or broadening the original research question should

be an expected part of your research process. Okay, time for a quick review.

How would you revise this bad research question into one that must be answered with a list?

Does online writing advice have any effect on adult students? Think about it. Find the word that would allow you to build a list.

Effect number one, effect number two, effect number three. Let's try one more.

Do medications alleviate symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD? That is a search question. It calls for a yes or no answer.

Let's turn it into an effective research question. How effective are medications in treating symptoms of ADHD in high school students?

Now, is it narrow? And does it generate a list?

Yes, effectiveness of medication one, effectiveness of medication two, effectiveness of medication three.

So to summarize, a good research question generates a list of answers. As you implement the strategy, be sure to avoid these three traps.

Number one, the unanswerable question. These are questions like, How can humans be so cruel to each other?

Is Man inherently good or evil? Well, God only knows. But if we changed it to what are the leading causes of murder in the US,

we now have a list of factors to research--cause number one, cause number two, etc.

Trap number two, avoid the opinions. In other words, if you ask a question like which National Park is the best,

that would result in an opinion paper, not a research paper. However, if you want to really research national parks, try this question.

What features do the most popular national parks have? And now you see the word that can help you produce a list.

Feature number one, feature number two, feature number 3.

Next trap--Avoid why questions. Why questions do not always elicit clear and specific answers.

Why do some companies continue to pollute the water despite regulations? Well, now you have to look at motives.

So turn that kind of why question into a what or how question.

Now let's end with this quick checklist. First, is it approved? After you've generated your topic and research question,

make sure that your instructor, thesis advisor, or committee members approve of your research question

and make sure you have this approval before diving into your research.

Two-- Are you objective? Are you trying to convince your audience to believe what you cherish rather than answering a research

question in an objective way? You may have very strong feelings about the protection of coral reefs.

And your opinion is they should be highly protected, and we need to do more to protect them.

Well, that's an opinion. You're doing a research paper, and the research paper would ask a far different question.

The third trap, Answerable. Is the research question answerable with the research method and time that you have to develop it?

And finally, doable. Do you have the knowledge and the experience and the skills required? Or are you biting off more than you can chew?

Do you have the sufficient equipment? Do you have the time?

And if it involves funds, such as paying participants or paying for surveys, do you have the funds you need to conduct your research?

So those are some of the considerations that you should definitely think about as you fabricate the important research question.

Thanks for watching. I hope this video helped you learn how to turn a research topic into a research question.

Check out this video for instruction the entire research paper, start to finish.