{"id":45,"date":"2016-06-14T16:07:02","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T16:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/chapter\/developing-research-question\/"},"modified":"2018-08-02T07:19:28","modified_gmt":"2018-08-02T07:19:28","slug":"developing-research-question","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/chapter\/developing-research-question\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing Your Research Question"},"content":{"raw":"Because of all their influence, you might worry that research questions are very difficult to develop. Sometimes it can seem that way. But we'll help you get the hang of it and, luckily, none of us has to come up with perfect ones right off. It's more like doing a rough draft and then improving it. That's why we talk about <em>developing<\/em> research questions instead of just writing them.\n\n<hr><h3>Steps for Developing a Research Question<\/h3>The steps for developing a research question, listed below, can help you organize your thoughts.\n\n<strong>Step 1: <\/strong>Pick a topic (or consider the one assigned to you).\n\n<strong>Step 2: <\/strong>Write a narrower\/smaller topic that is related to the first.\n\n<strong>Step 3: <\/strong>List some potential questions that could logically be asked in relation to the narrow topic.\n\n<strong>Step 4: <\/strong>Pick the question that you are most interested in.\n\n<strong>Step 5: <\/strong>Change that question you're interested in so that it is more focused.\n\n<div class=\"example\"><h3><strong>MOVIE:<\/strong> Developing Research Questions<\/h3>As you view this short video on how to develop research questions, think about the steps. Which step do you think is easiest? Which do you think is hardest?\n[iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1oJNO6PYZe4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"]\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1oJNO6PYZe4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Movie<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiostate.pressbooks.pub\/app\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/08\/developing-research-questions-transcript.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Text Version<\/a>\n\n<\/div><hr><h3>Practice<\/h3>Once you know the steps and their order, only three skills are involved in developing a research question:\n\n<ul><li>Imagining narrower topics about a larger one,<\/li><li>Thinking of questions that stem from a narrow topic, and<\/li><li>Focusing questions to eliminate their vagueness.<\/li><\/ul>Every time you use these skills, it\u2019s important to evaluate what you have produced\u2014that's just part of the process of turning rough drafts into more finished products.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_44\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"685\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/navegarvela\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2016\/06\/rq-process.png\" alt=\"Start with a narrow topic, think of questions, and then focus those questions.\" width=\"685\" height=\"313\" class=\"size-full wp-image-44\"> Three steps for developing a research question[\/caption]<div class=\"activity\"><h4><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong>&nbsp;Developing a Research Question<\/h4><a href=\"http:\/\/guides.osu.edu\/ld.php?content_id=34300397\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\n\n<\/div>Maybe you have a topic in mind, but aren't sure how to form a research question around it. The trick is to think of a question related to your topic, but not answerable with a quick search. Also, try to be specific so that your research question can be fully answered in the final product for your research assignment.\n\n<div class=\"activity\"><h4><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Thinking of Questions<\/h4>For each of the narrow topics below, think of a research question that is logically related to that topic. (Remember that good research questions often, but not always, start with \u201cWhy\u201d or \u201cHow\u201d because questions that begin that way usually require more analysis.)\n\nTopics:\n\n<ul><li>U.S. investors\u2019 attitudes about sustainability<\/li><li>College students\u2019 use of Snapchat<\/li><li>The character Scout in <em>To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em><\/li><li>Nature-inspired nanotechnologies<\/li><li>Marital therapy<\/li><\/ul>After you think of each research question, evaluate it by asking whether it is:\n\n<ul><li>Logically related to the topic<\/li><li>In question form<\/li><li>Not answerable with a quick Google search<\/li><li>Specific, not vague<\/li><\/ul><\/div>Sometimes the first draft of a research question is still too broad, which can make your search for sources more challenging. Refining your question to remove vagueness or to target a specific aspect of the topic can help.\n\n<div class=\"activity\"><h4><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Focusing Questions<\/h4>The first draft research questions below are not focused enough. Read them and identify at least one area of vagueness in each. Check your vagueness with what we identified. It\u2019s great if you found more than we did because that can lead to research questions of greater specificity. See the bottom of the page for the answers.\n\nFirst Drafts of Research Questions:\n\n<ol><li>Why have most electric car company start-ups failed?<\/li><li>How do crabapple trees develop buds?<\/li><li>How has NASA helped America?<\/li><li>Why do many first-time elections soon after a country overthrows a dictator result in very conservative elected leaders?<\/li><li>How is music composed and performed mostly by African-Americans connected to African-American history?<\/li><\/ol><\/div><hr><div class=\"example\"><h4><strong>ANSWER TO ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Focusing Questions<\/h4>Some answers to the \u201cFocusing Questions\u201d Activity above are:\n\n<strong>Question 1: <\/strong>Why have most electric car company start-ups failed?\nVagueness: Which companies are we talking about? Worldwide or in a particular country?\n\n<strong>Question 2: <\/strong>How do crabapple trees develop buds?\nVagueness: There are several kinds of crabapples. Should we talk only about one kind? Does it matter where the crabapple tree lives?\n\n<strong>Question 3: <\/strong>How has NASA helped America?\nVagueness: NASA has had many projects. Should we should focus on one project they completed? Or projects during a particular time period?\n\n<strong>Question 4: <\/strong>Why do many first-time elections soon after a country overthrows a dictator result in very conservative elected leaders?\nVagueness: What time period are we talking about? Many dictators have been overthrown and many countries have been involved. Perhaps we should focus on one country or one dictator or one time period.\n\n<strong>Question 5: <\/strong>How is music composed and performed mostly by African-Americans connected to African-American history?\nVagueness: What kinds of music? Any particular performers and composers? When?\n\n<\/div>","rendered":"<p>Because of all their influence, you might worry that research questions are very difficult to develop. Sometimes it can seem that way. But we&#8217;ll help you get the hang of it and, luckily, none of us has to come up with perfect ones right off. It&#8217;s more like doing a rough draft and then improving it. That&#8217;s why we talk about <em>developing<\/em> research questions instead of just writing them.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Steps for Developing a Research Question<\/h3>\n<p>The steps for developing a research question, listed below, can help you organize your thoughts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1: <\/strong>Pick a topic (or consider the one assigned to you).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2: <\/strong>Write a narrower\/smaller topic that is related to the first.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3: <\/strong>List some potential questions that could logically be asked in relation to the narrow topic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4: <\/strong>Pick the question that you are most interested in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5: <\/strong>Change that question you&#8217;re interested in so that it is more focused.<\/p>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3><strong>MOVIE:<\/strong> Developing Research Questions<\/h3>\n<p>As you view this short video on how to develop research questions, think about the steps. Which step do you think is easiest? Which do you think is hardest?<\/p>\n<p><!-- iframe plugin v.5.2 wordpress.org\/plugins\/iframe\/ --><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1oJNO6PYZe4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1oJNO6PYZe4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Movie<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiostate.pressbooks.pub\/app\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/08\/developing-research-questions-transcript.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Text Version<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Practice<\/h3>\n<p>Once you know the steps and their order, only three skills are involved in developing a research question:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Imagining narrower topics about a larger one,<\/li>\n<li>Thinking of questions that stem from a narrow topic, and<\/li>\n<li>Focusing questions to eliminate their vagueness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Every time you use these skills, it\u2019s important to evaluate what you have produced\u2014that&#8217;s just part of the process of turning rough drafts into more finished products.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44\" style=\"width: 685px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/navegarvela\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2016\/06\/rq-process.png\" alt=\"Start with a narrow topic, think of questions, and then focus those questions.\" width=\"685\" height=\"313\" class=\"size-full wp-image-44\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2016\/06\/rq-process.png 685w, https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2016\/06\/rq-process-300x137.png 300w, https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2016\/06\/rq-process-65x30.png 65w, https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2016\/06\/rq-process-225x103.png 225w, https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2016\/06\/rq-process-350x160.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three steps for developing a research question<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<h4><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong>&nbsp;Developing a Research Question<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/guides.osu.edu\/ld.php?content_id=34300397\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Maybe you have a topic in mind, but aren&#8217;t sure how to form a research question around it. The trick is to think of a question related to your topic, but not answerable with a quick search. Also, try to be specific so that your research question can be fully answered in the final product for your research assignment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<h4><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Thinking of Questions<\/h4>\n<p>For each of the narrow topics below, think of a research question that is logically related to that topic. (Remember that good research questions often, but not always, start with \u201cWhy\u201d or \u201cHow\u201d because questions that begin that way usually require more analysis.)<\/p>\n<p>Topics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>U.S. investors\u2019 attitudes about sustainability<\/li>\n<li>College students\u2019 use of Snapchat<\/li>\n<li>The character Scout in <em>To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Nature-inspired nanotechnologies<\/li>\n<li>Marital therapy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After you think of each research question, evaluate it by asking whether it is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Logically related to the topic<\/li>\n<li>In question form<\/li>\n<li>Not answerable with a quick Google search<\/li>\n<li>Specific, not vague<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sometimes the first draft of a research question is still too broad, which can make your search for sources more challenging. Refining your question to remove vagueness or to target a specific aspect of the topic can help.<\/p>\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<h4><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Focusing Questions<\/h4>\n<p>The first draft research questions below are not focused enough. Read them and identify at least one area of vagueness in each. Check your vagueness with what we identified. It\u2019s great if you found more than we did because that can lead to research questions of greater specificity. See the bottom of the page for the answers.<\/p>\n<p>First Drafts of Research Questions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why have most electric car company start-ups failed?<\/li>\n<li>How do crabapple trees develop buds?<\/li>\n<li>How has NASA helped America?<\/li>\n<li>Why do many first-time elections soon after a country overthrows a dictator result in very conservative elected leaders?<\/li>\n<li>How is music composed and performed mostly by African-Americans connected to African-American history?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h4><strong>ANSWER TO ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Focusing Questions<\/h4>\n<p>Some answers to the \u201cFocusing Questions\u201d Activity above are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question 1: <\/strong>Why have most electric car company start-ups failed?<br \/>\nVagueness: Which companies are we talking about? Worldwide or in a particular country?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question 2: <\/strong>How do crabapple trees develop buds?<br \/>\nVagueness: There are several kinds of crabapples. Should we talk only about one kind? Does it matter where the crabapple tree lives?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question 3: <\/strong>How has NASA helped America?<br \/>\nVagueness: NASA has had many projects. Should we should focus on one project they completed? Or projects during a particular time period?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question 4: <\/strong>Why do many first-time elections soon after a country overthrows a dictator result in very conservative elected leaders?<br \/>\nVagueness: What time period are we talking about? Many dictators have been overthrown and many countries have been involved. Perhaps we should focus on one country or one dictator or one time period.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question 5: <\/strong>How is music composed and performed mostly by African-Americans connected to African-American history?<br \/>\nVagueness: What kinds of music? Any particular performers and composers? When?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-45","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":20,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/45","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/45\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/45\/revisions\/46"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/20"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/45\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=45"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=45"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.publiconsulting.com\/wordpress\/choosingsources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=45"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}