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?  
 

Reference sources are a great place to begin your research. They provide:

• A way to identify potential research topics.
• A starting point to gather information on your topic.
• An introduction to major works and key issues related to your topic. •
• Key authors in your area of research.

General Reference Sources
Dictionaries and encyclopedias provide general information about a variety of subjects. They also include definitions that may help you break down and better understand your topic. They are generally not cited, since they mainly give an overview of a topic.

Reference Materials at the UI Libraries

• There are limited print reference sources available in the Reference Alcoves of the Main Library.
• Several online reference sources can be found on the Databases A-Z page. Use the All Databases Type to filter the sources by Type (e.g. Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, etc.)