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Research as Inquiry - Developing a Research Question - Project Explanation 456

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Create a post that uses your name, and research question as the title. Use the "link" option to provide a link to a source that will give good evidence in your research project. In the body text, explain why this source is valuable. Please see the example post. -->

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EXAMPLE Sally Smith - The relationship between microplastics and ADHD.

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EXAMPLE Sally Smith - The relationship between microplastics and ADHD.

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This source is valuable because it is based on a research study that links plastics and ADHD symptoms.

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Common plastics chemicals -- phthalates -- linked to ADHD symptoms

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Phthalates are important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items. Studies to date on phthalates have been inconsistent, with some linking exposure to these chemicals to hormone disruptions, birth defects, asthma and reproductive pro…

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What are some key things you need to remember when developing your research question?

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What are some key things you need to remember when developing your research question?

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Based on your evaluation of the resources above, what are some key things you need to remember in order to develop a research question that is inquiry-based? Create a sticky note with at least two points.

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Watch this video for a brief introduction to the relationship between research and inquiry.

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Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples

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A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to find out in your work. A good research question is essential to guide your research paper,

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52 Interesting Research Topics for High Schoolers

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52 Interesting Research Topics for High Schoolers

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What's Covered:

A research paper can be a daunting task for first-time writers. In addition to making sure you're using concise language and your thoughts are organized clearly, you need to find a topic that draws the reader in. CollegeVine is here to help you brainstorm creative topics! Below are 52 interesting research paper topics that will help you engage with your project and keep you motivated until you've typed the final period.

How to Pick the Right Research Topic

You can't have a good research paper without a good research paper topic. "Good" is subjective and different students will find different topics interesting; however, what's important is that you find a topic that makes you want to find out more and make a convincing argument. Maybe you'll be so interested that you'll want to take it further and submit your paper to a competition!

A research paper is similar to an academic essay but more lengthy and requires more research. This is bittersweet: although it is more work, you can create a more nuanced argument and learn more about your topic area. Research papers are a demonstration of your research ability and your ability to formulate a convincing argument. How well you're able to engage with the sources and make original contributions will decide the strength of your paper.

Elements of a Strong Research Paper

The best topic for a research paper is one that asserts a clear idea, interests the writer, and has evidence behind it. These factors culminate to create a compelling research paper. Although there are no limits to what you can write about, there are limits to what will make your paper readable, accurate, and A+ worthy. Below are some tips to help you achieve that great grade.

Clear Idea

To write an effective research paper, you must present a clear idea. This could be a discussion of history, an analysis of policy, or an explanation of a complex invention or idea. Take a look at the list below to become inspired. Feel free to edit the topics in a way that matches your academic passions.

Engagement

The most important part of writing a research paper is being engaged. You won't want to put effort into your project if you don't care about the final outcome. Pick a topic that is meaningful, interesting, and fascinates you. This way, you'll be excited to find reputable sources to present the best possible argument.

Evidence

After finding a topic that interests you and has a clear thesis, you must find sources to support your research. If there isn't any reputable research, you have two options: choose a new topic or conduct your own research. If conducting your own research is intimidating, we have some helpful resources. Make sure to have multiple sources for your research topic so that you can have a diversity of voices and time periods.

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Interesting Research Paper Topics for High Schoolers

Music

Discuss and analyze the impacts of a famous musician on pop music.

How has pop music evolved over the past decade?

How has the portrayal of women in music changed in the media over the past decade?

How does a synthesizer work?

How has music evolved to feature different instruments/voices?

How has sound effect technology changed the music industry?

Analyze the benefits of music education in high schools.

Education

Analyze the benefits of diversity in education.

Are charter schools useful for the national education system?

Track the rising price of universities and show its effect on current students.

Discuss the pros and cons of standardized testing.

What are the benefits of a gap year between high school and college?

What funding allocations give the most benefit to students?

Does homeschooling set students up for success?

Should universities / high schools require students to be vaccinated?

Government

Are rehabilitation centers more effective than prisons?

Are congestion taxes useful?

Discuss the differences between Trump's immigration policies and Biden's immigration policies.

Does affirmative action help minorities?

Can a capitalist system effectively reduce inequality?

Is a three-branch government system effective?

What caused polarization in today's politics?

History

Choose a historical invention. Discuss its impact on society today.

Choose a famous historical leader who lost power. What led to their eventual downfall?

How has your country evolved over the past century?

Has the government's response to national disasters improved or declined throughout history?

Discuss the history of the American occupation of Iraq.

Explain the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Healthcare

What are the responsible limits on abortion, if any?

How does an MRI machine work?

Analyze the effects of medical marijuana use on:

Elderly populations

Health

The education system

State tax bases

How do anti-vaxxers affect the health of the country?

Analyze the costs and benefits of diet culture.

Should companies allow employees to exercise on company time?

What is an adequate amount of exercise for an adult to attain per week?

Discuss the effects of the obesity epidemic on American society.

Internet

Are students smarter since the advent of the internet?

What departures has the internet made from its original design?

Has digital downloading helped the music industry?

Discuss the benefits and costs of stricter internet censorship.

Analyze the effects of the internet on the paper news industry.

What would happen if the internet went out?

Mental Health

What are the benefits of daily exercise?

Discuss how the pandemic has affected people's mental health.

What things contribute to poor mental and physical health?

Analyze how mental health is talked about in pop culture.

Discuss the pros and cons of more counselors in high schools.

How does stress affect the body?

Science

What are black holes?

What are the effects of deforestation on climate change?

Discuss the biggest success and failures of the EPA.

Can coral reefs be saved?

How has the Flint water crisis affected Michigan life?

Where to Get Your Research Paper Edited for Free

Paramount to the success of your research paper is the strength of your argument. Your research should bolster your thesis and you should have multiple reputable sources.

For an extra set of eyes, use CollegeVine's free peer review essay tool to get feedback for free! A strong research paper is only made stronger with a second pair of eyes.

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52 Interesting Research Paper Topics for High Schoolers

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See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now - it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free. Show me what areas I need to improve A research paper can be a daunting task for first-time writers.

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Finding Primary Sources for Teachers and Students

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Finding Primary Sources Primary Sources from DocsTeach Thousands of online primary source documents from the National Archives to bring the past to life as classroom teaching tools. National Archives Catalog Find online primary source materials for classroom & student projects from the National Archive's online catalog (OPA).

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Topic: Developing a inquiry-based research question.

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Topic: Developing a inquiry-based research question.

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We are going to work on creating an inquiry-based research question and creating an outline of the evidence to support the question.

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Learners engage with new knowledge by following a process that includes:

1. Using evidence to investigate questions.

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Use search engines like "Google Scholar" instead of regular Google to find scholarly resources.

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Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. Search across a wide variety of disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions.

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Why Scholarly Articles? And how to Recognize Them

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Why Scholarly Articles? And how to Recognize Them

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Articles in scholarly journals are valued for several reasons. First, they are usually trustworthy because their publication process includes a peer review that helps insure their accuracy and contribution to their disciplines. In addition, they often contain the first reports of new research, which makes their sections on methodology, data, analysis, and interpretation primary sources. Sometimes they instead consist of literature reviews summaries of multiple research studies done in the past on particular subjects of current interest. That makes those articles very helpful secondary sources.

Peer-Reviewed Sources

The most-respected scholarly journals are peer-reviewed, which means that experts in their field other than the author and editor check out each article before it can be published. It's their responsibility to help guarantee that new material is presented in the context of what is already known, that the methods the researcher used are the right ones, and that the article contributes to the field.

For those reasons, peer-reviewed articles are more likely to be credible. Peer-reviewed journal articles are the official scholarly record, which means that if it's an important development in research, it will probably turn up in a journal article eventually.

Here 's a longer explanation of the peer review process, which concludes that it is good but not perfect.

Parts of a Scholarly Article

The articles you use for your assignments must also be relevant to your research question-not just credible. Reading specific parts of an article can help save you time as you decide whether an article is relevant.

Reading a scholarly article usually takes some effort. Here's how to do it.

Finding Scholarly Articles

Most scholarly articles are housed in specialized databases. Libraries (public, school, or company) often provide access to scholarly databases by paying a subscription fee for patrons. For instance, OSU Libraries provide access to hundreds of databases via its Research Databases List that are made available free to people affiliated with the University. You can search for a journal title in these databases or view a list of databases by subject. For more information, including how to search databases, see Specialized Databases.

Databases that aren't subject-specific are called general databases. Google Scholar is a free general scholarly database available to all who have access to the Internet, and it provides some scholarly articles. For more information, see our section on using Google Scholar.

Tip: Known Article Searching

What if you have a citation for an article you need and now have to find the actual text of the article? Follow these instructions to Access to a Known Journal Article.

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Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research

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Articles in scholarly journals are valued for several reasons. First, they are usually trustworthy because their publication process includes a peer review that helps insure their accuracy and contribution to their disciplines. In addition, they often contain the first reports of new research, which makes their sections on methodology, data, analysis, and interpretation primary sources.

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What is a Scholarly Source? (5 Top Sources to use in Essays)

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MLA Formatting and Style Guide - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

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MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

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How to Avoid Plagiarism with 3 Simple Tricks | Scribbr 🎓