What makes a research question strong?
- It is interesting to YOU!
- It is related to the course.
- It is well-defined/scoped out (not too narrow, not too broad).
- You have verified that there is enough credible information on the topic to support your research.
Finding a topic
- List your interests and connect them with your course.
- Scan the textbook or other readings and explore a topic further or from a different angle.
- Browse the table of contents and abstracts of scholarly journals.
- Mix your course with another field you are familiar with (ex: psychology and music).
- Brainstorm and discuss with your classmates and professor.
Scoping your topic – Narrowing or broadening
You will need to narrow or broaden your research question to make sure you have enough supporting information to write an essay that fits the requirements. Make sure you understand the assignment's guidelines. Talk to your professor if you are unsure!
Narrowing:
- Limit your research question by adding more context: geographical context (where: a country, a region), historical context (when, time span), population group (age, sex, race, occupation, species, or ethnic group), etc.
- Limit your research to specific films, a single director, or a genre.
Example- Topic: Violence depicted in cinema. Various narrowing strategies are listed below:
- One filmmaker: Quentin Tarantino. Narrowing even further to just a few of his films: Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2
- Historical context: Analyzing violence in films produced in the 1960s. Narrow further: films responding to the Vietnam War.
- Population group: Cinematic depictions of masculinity and violence in young adult men aged 18 - 25.
How and why to test your topic right from the start?
- Why? Ensure there is enough background information.
- How? Write down a few keywords and their synonyms. Conduct preliminary research.
Adjusting
Once you start testing your research question, you might find that you narrowed it down too much. If that’s the case, you can use opposite strategies or remove one component to broaden it.
Broadening:
- What is the relationship between violence in films and the Vietnam War? (Removed: produced in the 1960s)
Start your research!
Let your research question evolve naturally as you research.
