You may not know right away what your research question is. Gather information on the broader topic to explore new possibilities and to help narrow your topic.

• Choose an interesting topic. If you’re interested in your topic, chances are that others will be, too. This will hopefully make the research process more interesting and fun for you.

• Gather background information.

•  For a general overview, reference sources may be useful.
•  InfoHawk+ is also a good place to start narrowing your focus and finding resources
• Ask yourself:
  • What subtopics relate to the broader topic? 
  • What questions do these sources raise? 
  • What do you find interesting about the topic? •
• Consider your audience.
  • Who would be interested in the issue?

 After choosing a topic and gathering background information, add focus with a research question. 

• Explore questions.
  • Ask open-ended “how” and “why” questions about your general topic.
  • Consider the “so what” of your topic. Why does this topic matter to you? Why should it matter to others? 
  • Reflect on the questions you have considered. Identify one or two questions you find engaging and which could be explored further through research.
• Determine and evaluate your research question.
  • What aspect of the more general topic you will explore?
  • Is your research question clear?
  • Is your research question focused?
    (Research questions must be specific enough to be well covered in the space available.)
  • Is your research question complex?
    (Questions shouldn’t have a simple yes/no answer and should require research and analysis.)
• Hypothesize. After you’ve come up with a question, consider the path your answer might take.
  •  If you are making an argument, what will you say?
  • Why does your argument matter?
  • How might others challenge your argument?
  • What kind of sources will you need to support your argument?

Reflect! Is your question... 

•    Open-- Does your question leave open the possibility for multiple points of view on your topic?

•    Focused (not broad)-- Does your question narrow the topic down to a smaller size? 

•    Specific (not vague)-- Can you name the particular elements you’re studying (maybe from your list of 5 Ws in the topic worksheet)?

•    Answerable-- Are you taking on the mysteries of the universe? Remember, you don’t have to solve riddles science can’t answer or uncover the meaning of humanity. 

List keywords! A solid research question gives you the keywords you will use to search the databases. Consider synonyms and related terms. Think about proper nouns - who/what are the people, places/spaces, entities, etc. that play a role in your topic? What time or era is relevant to the exploration of your topic? 

Adapted from resources available at College of Staten Island (CUNY) and George Mason University Writing Center.