A research question is the question around which you center your research. The question you ask should be developed for the discipline you are studying and about an issue you are curious or passionate about.
Research questions help writers focus their research by providing a path through the research and writing process. The specificity of a well-developed research question helps writers avoid the “all-about” paper and work toward supporting a specific, arguable thesis.
A research question should be:
Clear
It should provide enough specifics that the audience can easily understand its purpose without needing additional explanation.
Focused
It should be narrow enough that it can be thoroughly answered in the space allowed for the writing task.
Concise
It should be expressed in the fewest possible words.
Complex
It should not be answerable by a simple "yes" or "no"; rather, it should require synthesis and analysis of ideas and sources.
Arguable
It should contain potential answers that are open to debate rather than accepted facts.
Choose an interesting general topic
Most researchers focus on topics they are genuinely interested in studying. Writers should choose a broad topic, such as "Films of the 1930s."
Do preliminary research on your general topic
Do some quick searches in current journals on your topic to see what research has already been done and help you narrow your focus. What issues are scholars discussing about your topic?
Consider your audience
Usually, your audience will be academic, but keep your audience in mind while developing your question. Would that particular audience be interested in the question you are developing?
Start asking questions
Start asking yourself open ended "how" and "why" questions about your topic. For example, "How did the films of the 1930s reflect or respond to the conditions of the Great Depression?"
Evaluate your question
Evaluate any questions you have developed to determine if they are effective research questions or if they need refining.
Ask yourself the following questions:
