From research topic to research question
Usually researchers start out with a broad topic then narrow down to a question. Here are some strategies for generating a good research question.
- Think about what questions you have or that currently exist about your topic. For example, when researching the local food culture, you could ask "Why do people buy local?"
- "What specific food items are people more likely to buy local and why?"
- "What are the economic aspects of buying local? Is it cheaper?
- "Do people in all socio-economic strata have access to local food?"
The 5 W's
Think about the 5 W’s –who, what, when, where, and why– to help you brainstorm different ways you might narrow your question to be more specific.
The Five W criteria can add context to your investigation and turn a topic into a research question.
- WHO describes an individual or select population you are investigating.
- WHAT describes a specific aspect or element that directly impacts the WHO.
- WHEN is a time frame in which you might limit your investigation?
- WHERE is a geographical location where you might focus.
- WHY is the reason this investigation is important or meaningful. WHY is not necessarily a part of the final research question but more informative of the scope of the project in general.
Research Question: What effect does alcohol have on college students?
Concept Mapping
Create a concept map of your topic that consists of all of the possible aspects and angles that you can think of. See this great video on concept mapping: