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Tips on Formulating a Great Research Question!
Page Contents:
Links to topic ideas and subject requirements
Tips on refining a topic idea and creating an essay proposal
Advice on how to formulate a good research question
Useful vocabulary and question starters
Research question examples
But, before you get to the RQ, the toughest part can be finding topic ideas...
Searching for possible topics?
CLICK THE PICTURE!
What should I know about the subject area requirements?
Click to find the info you need
Before you finalise your research question, it is good practice to submit an extended essay PROPOSAL.
Your first check-in session with your supervisor is a good opportunity to discuss your ideas and get guidance as you put together your essay proposal.
Antes de concretar tu pregunta de investigación, es recomendable presentar una PROPUESTA de monografía.
La primera sesión informal con tu supervisor es una buena oportunidad para discutir tus ideas y recibir orientación para desarrollar tu propuesta de monografía.
Crafting a good research question
The research question should:
encourage critical analysis rather than a descriptive or narrative response
allow for the development of a strong line of argument
avoid combining more than one question (i.e. “double-barrelled”), in which case the scope of the essay would probably be too broad
avoid questions that are liable to lead to writing a descriptive essay; you should aim to be analytical and evaluative
use higher-order questions that engage deeper thinking processes—wording such as “how significant …?”, “how successful …?”, “to what extent …?” or “what if …?” is more likely to engage you with analysis and inspire critical evaluation of your research findings
not lead the reader to a self-evident answer; rather, the question should create an opportunity for you to research the topic thoroughly and construct a line of argument that is not immediately obvious from the question itself.
Source: IBO.org
Click the picture to go to a helpful web page by Scribbr, which takes you through the steps you need to craft a good research question
This blog post is Psychology-focused, but the principles can be applied to RQs in all subjects
Haz clic en la imagen para acceder a una útil entrada de blog en español sobre la elaboración de una buena pregunta de investigación.
The document below gives you useful vocabulary for narrowing the focus of your research question.
Useful phrases for starting a research question
Q: How do I know it's a good research question?
A: If it fulfills the criteria below.
Example Research Questions
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