Skip to Main Content

The Research Question

A good research question is critical, not simplistic

A critical question...

  • leads to more questions
  • provokes discussion
  • comes from a critical or careful reading of the text or understanding of a topic
  • addresses wider issues 

A simplistic question... 

  • can be answered with a "yes" or "no"
  • can contain the answers within the question
  • can be answered by a fact, or a series of facts
  • can easily be found by "Googling"
Video: Thesis Statements

You may need to adjust your question if... 

  • You can answer it too easily...
    • by looking it up
    • by summarizing a source
    • if the answer seems self-evident because the evidence overwhelmingly favors one answer
  • You cannot find enough good evidence and authoritative sources to support an answer because...
    • no relevant facts exist
    • not enough research exists to be considered
    • the question is based on preference
  • You have too much information...
    • your topic is too broad

Once you have a narrowed topic idea, you will want to begin to refine it into a question that can be successfully researched. Often you will be going back and re-working your research question, based on the information you will find and the direction you take. Remember -- decide on what is the most interesting aspect for you!