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https://youtu.be/ELo9hh7n9DY

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuul8hBip8

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https://mypaperdone.com/blog/middle-school-research-topics/

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https://digscholarship.unco.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=infolit

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjuvdglDyoY

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https://libguides.mit.edu/select-topic

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Choosing an interesting research topic is your first challenge. Here are some tips:

Choose a topic that you are interested in! The research process is more relevant if you care about your topic.

Narrow your topic to something manageable.

If your topic is too broad, you will find too much information and not be able to focus.

Background reading can help you choose and limit the scope of your topic.

Review the guidelines on topic selection outlined in your assignment. Ask your professor or TA for suggestions.

Refer to lecture notes and required texts to refresh your knowledge of the course and assignment.

Talk about research ideas with a friend. S/he may be able to help focus your topic by discussing issues that didn't occur to you at first.

Think of the who, what, when, where and why questions:

WHY did you choose the topic? What interests you about it? Do you have an opinion about the issues involved?

WHO are the information providers on this topic? Who might publish information about it? Who is affected by the topic? Do you know of organizations or institutions affiliated with the topic?

WHAT are the major questions for this topic? Is there a debate about the topic? Are there a range of issues and viewpoints to consider?

WHERE is your topic important: at the local, national or international level? Are there specific places affected by the topic?

WHEN is/was your topic important? Is it a current event or an historical issue? Do you want to compare your topic by time periods?

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LibGuides: Selecting a Research Topic: Overview

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Choosing an interesting research topic is your first challenge. Here are some tips: Choose a topic that you are interested in! The research process is more relevant if you care about your topic. Narrow your topic to something manageable. If your topic is too broad, you will find too much information and not be able to focus.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLYCYeCFak

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https://subjectguides.esc.edu/researchskillstutorial/researchquestion

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https://elementary.oslis.org/learn-to-research/plan/create-my-questions/choosing-a-topic-developing-a-research-question-video

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Choosing a Topic  & Developing a Research Question

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https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/choosingsources/chapter/developing-research-question/

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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 developing research questions instead of just writing them.

Steps for Developing a Research Question

The steps for developing a research question, listed below, can help you organize your thoughts.

Step 1: Pick a topic (or consider the one assigned to you).

Step 2: Write a narrower/smaller topic that is related to the first.

Step 3: List some potential questions that could logically be asked in relation to the narrow topic.

Step 4: Pick the question that you are most interested in.

Step 5: Change that question you're interested in so that it is more focused.

MOVIE: Developing Research Questions

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?

View Movie | View Text Version

Practice

Once you know the steps and their order, only three skills are involved in developing a research question:

Imagining narrower topics about a larger one,

Thinking of questions that stem from a narrow topic, and

Focusing questions to eliminate their vagueness.

Every time you use these skills, it's important to evaluate what you have produced-that's just part of the process of turning rough drafts into more finished products.

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.

ACTIVITY: Thinking of Questions

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 "Why" or "How" because questions that begin that way usually require more analysis.)

Topics:

U.S. investors' attitudes about sustainability

College students' use of Snapchat

The character Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird

Nature-inspired nanotechnologies

Marital therapy

After you think of each research question, evaluate it by asking whether it is:

Logically related to the topic

In question form

Not answerable with a quick Google search

Specific, not vague

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.

ACTIVITY: Focusing Questions

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's 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 our answers.

First Drafts of Research Questions:

1. Why have most electric car company start-ups failed?

2. How do crabapple trees develop buds?

3. How has NASA helped America?

4. Why do many first-time elections soon after a country overthrows a dictator result in very conservative elected leaders?

5. How is music composed and performed mostly by African-Americans connected to African-American history?

ANSWER TO ACTIVITY: Focusing Questions

Some answers to the "Focusing Questions" Activity above are:

Question 1: Why have most electric car company start-ups failed?
Vagueness: Which companies are we talking about? Worldwide or in a particular country?

Question 2: How do crabapple trees develop buds?
Vagueness: There are several kinds of crabapples. Should we talk only about one kind? Does it matter where the crabapple tree lives?

Question 3: How has NASA helped America?
Vagueness: NASA has had many projects. Should we should focus on one project they completed? Or projects during a particular time period?

Question 4: Why do many first-time elections soon after a country overthrows a dictator result in very conservative elected leaders?
Vagueness: 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.

Question 5: How is music composed and performed mostly by African-Americans connected to African-American history?
Vagueness: What kinds of music? Any particular performers and composers? When?

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Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research

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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.

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http://www.wroskills.org/developing-a-research-question.htm

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https://libguides.mjc.edu/english/researchquestions

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Good academic communication should include an introduction in which your topic and thesis is clearly defined, an analysis of your topic, and a clear conclusion.

Start out by introducing your topic, communicating to your audience why the topic is important, and providing enough background information to allow your audience to understand the analysis that is about to take place. Your introduction is also the logical place to embed your thesis.

Before you begin writing your research questions, you'll want to do a little background reading to begin learning something about your topic.

Examples of defining/introductory questions:

What is _________________?

Why is ____________ an important issue?

What background information is necessary to understand ______________?

What are the different types of ____________?

All academic research demands analysis. Some projects lend themselves well to a cause/effect structure ("What caused hip-hop to emerge and what are some of the effects it's had on American culture?), while other assignments require a pro/con format ("What are the positive aspects of stem cell research? What are some of the negative implications?). Some projects can easily conform to both modes.

Examples of analytical/body questions:

What are the causes of ________________?

What are the "pro" arguments about_______________?

What are the "con" arguments about ______________?

How can I refute arguments about ______________?

What is being done about ______________?

Your conclusion allows you to demonstrate to your instructor that you have synthesized the information you found and clearly answered your thesis question (informative projects) or effectively proven your thesis statement (persuasive/argumentative assignments).

Examples of concluding questions:

What do I think should be done about ________________?

Based on my research what do I think about ________________ and why?

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Research Guides: English Research Basics: Create Research Questions

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Good academic communication should include an introduction in which your topic and thesis is clearly defined, an analysis of your topic, and a clear conclusion. Start out by introducing your topic, communicating to your audience why the topic is important, and providing enough background information to allow your audience to understand the analysis that is about to take place.

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https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-questions/

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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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Discussion Question: How can students create effective, focused, and targeted research questions? 

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Discussion Question: How can students create effective, focused, and targeted research questions? 

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 Creating Resarch Questions- Middle School

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 Creating Resarch Questions- Middle School

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I- Inquire: Build new knowledge by inquiring, thinking critically, identifying problems, and developing strategies for solving problems.
-Learners display curiosity and initiative by:
1. Formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.