Module 2: Formulating Your Research Question and Thesis Statement
Module 2: Formulating Your Research Question and Thesis Statement
Now that you have a specific topic, it's time to turn it into the guiding force of your paper: a research question and a working thesis statement. This module will show you how to formulate a question that can be answered through research and then craft a strong, arguable statement that will serve as the central claim of your paper. Think of your research question as the puzzle you're trying to solve and your thesis statement as the main argument you'll use to solve it.
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
Distinguish between a research question and a thesis statement.
Formulate a clear and focused research question based on your specific topic.
Understand the characteristics of a strong working thesis statement.
Draft a working thesis statement that is arguable, specific, and presents a clear position.
A research question is not just a sentence; it is the core inquiry that your entire paper will attempt to answer. A good research question is:
Specific: It doesn't use vague terms.
Feasible: You can find sources to help you answer it.
Relevant: It's a question worth asking in the field of exercise science.
Let's revisit our example from Module 1:
Specific Topic: The effect of a 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program on body fat percentage in college-aged adults.
To turn this into a research question, we simply phrase it as a question:
Research Question: How does a 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program affect body fat percentage in college-aged adults?
The question guides your research. When you search for sources, you'll be looking for studies that have attempted to answer this very question.
Your thesis statement is your direct answer to the research question. It's not a question itself, but a single, clear, arguable sentence that presents your main claim or argument. While it's called a "working" thesis, it's the core of your paper and should be specific and assertive.
A strong thesis statement is:
Arguable: It's a claim that could be debated, not a simple fact.
Specific: It avoids vague language and presents a clear point.
Focused: It directly addresses your research question.
Let's use our example again:
Research Question: How does a 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program affect body fat percentage in college-aged adults?
Now, based on what you might expect to find in your research (or what you hypothesize), you can formulate a working thesis statement.
Working Thesis Statement: A 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program is an effective method for reducing body fat percentage in college-aged adults.
Notice how this statement takes a clear position. It's a claim that you will now support with evidence from your research.
Now, apply what you've learned to your own specific topic from Module 1.
Guided Practice:
Recall your specific topic: _________________________
Formulate your Research Question: Phrase your topic as a question.
My Research Question: _________________________
Draft your Working Thesis Statement: Answer your research question with a single, arguable sentence. Remember, this is your initial claim, and it's okay if it changes slightly later.
My Working Thesis Statement: _________________________
Check out the Thesis Generator from the University of Arizona Writing Center. You can follow the step-by-step process to forumulate an argumentatvie thesis statement that you can then further refine.
In this module, you built upon your specific topic to create the two most important guiding components of your paper: a research question and a working thesis statement. The research question defines your inquiry, while the thesis statement provides your central, arguable answer. Having these two components in place will give your paper a clear direction and purpose as you move into the next phase: finding scholarly sources.
In the next module, you will learn how to use your new research question and thesis statement to search for credible, scholarly sources using your university library's databases.