Research Question

Developing a Strong Research Question

Purpose: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its purpose without needing additional explanation.
focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.
concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of ideas and sources prior to the composition of an answer.
arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.

Is your research question clear? With so much research available on any given topic, research questions must be as clear as possible in order to be effective in helping the writer direct his or her research?
Is your research question focused? Research questions must be specific enough to be well covered in the space available.
Is your research question complex? Research questions should not be answerable with a simple “yes” or “no” or by easily-found facts. They should, instead, require both research and analysis on the part of the writer. They often begin with “How” or “Why.”

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