topic
JerRol
DeterminingaResearchQuestion1.pptx
Determining a Research Question
Consider the Context
What is your purpose? Is there a specified genre i.e. report, persuasion, etc.
Who is your audience? What do they know of your topic?
Background info, how to appeal
What sources do you need?
What is your stance on the subject? objective, skeptical, confused, or indifferent?
How much time will your project take? Plan your topic and budget your time accordingly.
Choosing a Topic & Narrowing the Focus
Find a topic that interests you:
Education in the World
Narrow the focus to a manageable topic:
Education as a fundamental human right in the United Nations
Utilize the library!
Early research can help narrow the focus.
Ask reference librarians
But keep a working bibliography as you work to manage sources.
Posing a Research Question
Now that your topic is determined, what is your specific research question?
You will answer it throughout your paper.
Generate questions initially with what, when, where, who, how, why, would, or could?
How will education be provided to all?
Why should education be a fundamental human right?
Who has fought for education before?
Tentative Thesis
Your research will lead you towards a possible (tentative) answer to that/those question[s]
How will education be provided to all?
By utilizing the available United Nations bodies, education could be provided to all people of the world.
Why should education be a fundamental human right? And How will education be provided to all?
Education improves the situation of individuals and could lead to a more equitable future and should thus be pursued through the available routes including the United Nations.
The tentative thesis guides research, but can be revised through the continued research project.
Research is a process!
Evaluate the Quality
Does the question deal with a topic or issue that interests you?
Is the question easily and fully researchable?
What type of information is necessary?
Specific statistics, information from a particular organization, government data, etc?
Is the scope reasonable?
Given this, is the question too broad or narrow?
What sources will be able to provide the necessary information? – journals, books, internet, government documents, people
Can you access these sources?
Given these answers, do you have a high quality research question that can be accomplished in the span of time available?
SUNY Empire State College, Online Writing Center
