Creating a STrong Research Question

Updated November 2021

All good research starts with a question. Maybe there’s something you want to know more about. Maybe there’s an issue that makes you wonder. Maybe there’s a teacher who suggests a topic or set of questions for you to consider.

Step One in your inquiry should always be to consider and develop your questions, to help you begin your search for answers.

Getting Started with the Research Question:

Your topic and research question work together: it’s essential to have a topic to get you going, and a good research question establishes your topic in the clearest, most focused, manner.

With that in mind, it helps to look more closely at what makes a strong research question. There are two most important criteria: focus and argument.

Focus:

At it’s most simple: the more detailed your focus, the more opportunity you have for strong analysis. If you’re working with a maximum word limit or time frame, broad topics will limit your depth of analysis.

Here’s an example, based upon a popular topic in history: World War One.

First, a broad research question:

1. How terrible was World War One?

The next example is not quite so broad, but could still be a multi-volume book:

2. What were the consequences of World War One for the Allied Forces?

This third example has a much more narrow focus:

3. To what extent was trench warfare an effective military strategy for the Allied forces on the Western Front in World War One?  

You might be surprised, however, to realize the number of full books that have been written in an attempt to answer this 3rd question.

This linked guide identifies specific factors that can help focus your research question. 

Argument:

The best research encourages people to examine and question their own understandings. In order to make that happen, you need to take a position on an issue: a position that others may disagree with, or be unaware of. An effective research question encourages an original and/or debatable answer.  

This first example leaves very little opportunity for argument:

1. How many horses are on Mr. Smith’s farm?

Some argument is possible in the following example:

2. Does Mr. Smith like having horses on his farm?

But consider what your strongest evidence would be – how would you try to determine the best possible answer, and how much room for significant research-based argument would exist?

The following question has lots of room for different interpretations:

3. What are the most important benefits the Smith family gains from the horses on their farm?

Issues to consider: Take a moment to think of all the benefits that might exist. Has this question now become too broad? How could you focus the question, and still leave room for argument? What type of evidence would you attempt to research? How could you measure the benefits?