When it comes to identifying your research area and topic, start by thinking about what genuinely interests you. What subjects do you find yourself drawn to in class, or what issues do you feel passionate about outside of the classroom?
List a few concepts or ideas that really appeal to you, and do some quick reading or browsing online to see what's currently trending in those areas. Always remember to make use of library resources to explore potential research areas and discover more about the topic. For instance, using an encyclopaedia database like Britannica Academic for an overview of a specific topic or observing the latest news on an area of subject from a newspaper database like Factiva. This can help you narrow down your focus and find a specific topic that’s both interesting and feasible.
While thinking about your research area and topic, you can also begin to set the stage for how you would like data to be collected. What type of data is preferred? Quantitative or qualitative data? How will the data be collected? This may influence your formulation of the research question and relevant objectives on how to achieve the desired outcomes.
As always, approach our librarians or your instructor for advice or suggestions!
Check out our LibGuide on Thesis and Essay Writing for more tips!
Once you have identified your research area, you can now start to formulate your research question. The 5W1H approach allows you to address each of these elements in a systematic manner to ensure that your question is comprehensive and precise at the same time.
| Who: Know who is involved “Who is affected?” “Who is my targeted audience?” |
What: Clarify the main topic “What happened?” “What are the key issues?” |
| When & Where: Set the context “When did this happen?” “Where is the location of occurrence?” |
Why & How: Conduct a deeper investigation “Why this happen but not the other result?” “How can this research make a difference?” |
Another approach to formulating your research question is named the FINER Method. It serves as the cornerstone that guarantees a study is substantial, influential, and significant. The FINER criteria aim to secure every stage of the research journey and produce impactful output.
Image Source: Elsevier Author Services
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Cornell University
Written by the Cornell University Library, this guide offers a few research question frameworks that help you in formulating the right research question and keep you on track.
Research.com
Offering comprehensive information and resources, Research.com is a valuable source for you to understand more about the latest happenings in the academic community. This article pinpoints the fundamental elements in formulating research questions with examples of good and bad ones. Take a look to learn more.
Scribber
Scribber is a commercial company that provide wide range of services to uphold academic integrity, including plagiarism checker, citation generator and proofreading service. They also built a knowledge base that includes a variety of resources on all aspects of topics in the academic world. Check out this article on how you can write a strong research question.
University of Connecticut
This guide written by the UConn Library highlights how you can begin your research project, suggesting guidelines and examples on what a good research question is.