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: Lead Poisoning
General Topic:
Example: Children
Who:
Ask yourself who is impacted by your topic.
What population? People, animals, the environment?
Consider gender, age, or profession.
Example: Children
Adolescents
Synonym 1:
Come up with two synonyms or related terms for who is impacted by your topic.
Example: Children Kids
Synonym 2:
Example: Intellectual disability
What:
What aspects of your topic are you interested in researching?
The causes? The effects or implications? The solutions?
Example: Intellectual disability Learning disability
Synonym 1:
Come up with two synonyms or related terms for the what aspects of your topic.
Example: Intellectual disability IQ
Synonym 2:
Ask yourself when?
Is this current? In the past? Related to a specific event? Looking to the future?
Example: Last 3 years
When:
Ask yourself where?
Countries, regions, states, places (workplace, schools, virtually)?
Example: Flint, Michigan
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: Has lead poisoning in Flint Michigan over the last 3 years caused intellectual disabilities in children?