Developing a Research Question
Topic narrowing can help you write focused research questions.
What are you interested in researching for your project?
Type in your general topic.
Example: Exercise
General Topic:
Example: College Students
Who:
Ask yourself who is impacted by your topic.
What population? People, animals, the environment?
Consider gender, age, or profession.
Example: College Students 
University Students
Synonym 1:
Come up with two synonyms or related terms for who is impacted by your topic.
Example: College Students Undergraduates
Synonym 2:
Example: Stress
What:
What aspects of your topic are you interested in researching?
The causes? The effects or implications? The solutions?
Example: Stress anxiety
Synonym 1:
Come up with two synonyms or related terms for the what aspects of your topic.
Example: Stress mental health
Synonym 2:
Ask yourself when?
Is this current? In the past? Related to a specific event? Looking to the future?
Example: The Past 5 Years
When:
Ask yourself where?
Countries, regions, states, places (workplace, schools, virtually)?
Example: United States
Where:
Your Potential Search Terms:
- Topic:
- Who:
- What:
- When:
- Where:
Your focused research question:
Pull the elements together to create your research question or statement.
Example: How does exercise impact the stress levels of college students in the United States in the past 5 years?