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THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION
Research = the physical process of gathering information + the mental process of deriving the answer to your question from the information you gathered.
Research writing = the process of sharing the answer to your research question along with the evidence on which your answer is based, the sources you used, and your own reasoning and explanation.
Developing a good research question is the foundation of a successful research project, so it is worth spending time and effort understanding what makes a good question.
A research question is a question that CAN be answered in an objective way, at least partially and at least for now.
- Questions that are purely values-based (such as “Should assisted suicide be legal?”) cannot be answered objectively because the answer varies depending on one’s values. Be wary of questions that include “should” or “ought” because those words often (although not always) indicate a values-based question.However, note that most values-based questions can be turned into research questions by judicious reframing. For instance, you could reframe “Should assisted suicide be legal?” as “What are the ethical implications of legalizing assisted suicide?” Using a “what are” frame turns a values-based question into a legitimate research question by moving it out of the world of debate and into the world of investigation.
A good research question is one that can be answered using information that already exists or that can be collected.
- The question, “Does carbon-based life exist outside of Earth’s solar system?” is a perfectly good research question in the sense that it is not values-based and therefore could be answered in an objective way, IF it were possible to collect data about the presence of life outside of Earth’s solar system. That is not yet possible with current technology; therefore, this is not (yet) a research question because it’s not (now) possible to obtain the data that would be needed to answer it.
A good research question is a question that hasn’t already been answered, or hasn’t been answered completely, or hasn’t been answered for your specific context.
- If the answer to the question is readily available in a good encyclopedia, textbook, or reference book, then it is a homework question, not a research question. It was probably a research question in the past, but if the answer is so thoroughly known that you can easily look it up and find it, then it is no longer an open question.However, it is important to remember that as new information becomes available, homework questions can sometimes be reopened as research questions. Equally important, a question may have been answered for one population or circumstance, but not for all populations or all circumstances.
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Licensing & Attributions CC licensed content, Shared previously Composition II. Authored by: Janet Zepernick. Provided by: Pittsburg State University. Located at: http://www.pittstate.edu/. Project: Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License: CC BY: Attribution Image of question mark. Authored by: cesar bojorquez. Located at: https://flic.kr/p/2uKyU. License: CC BY: Attribution |
ASSESSMENT: RESEARCH QUESTION TASK
First, review the 3 resources noted below.
- This infographic about fantasy cover art illustrates one way of reporting data. From the accompanying notes, you will get a good idea of the research method used, and you should be able to infer (that is, make an informed guess based on relevant evidence) the research question. The Chart of Fantasy Art, 2009
- This research uses the same pool of sources (cover art from fantasy titles published by Orbit in 2008 and 2009) but collects different data (details of the visual representations of heroines) to answer a different research question. Again, you should be able to infer the question from the answer as represented in the infographic. Changing Fashion in Urban Fantasy
- Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature
A meta-analysis is a form of research in which the researcher examines all of a certain type of artifact, in this case all the scientific articles on climate change published between November 2012 and December 2013 in peer-reviewed journals. The purpose of meta-analysis is to identify trends in the available data that would not be visible from any one article alone. A meta-analysis is similar to another type of research that begins by examining all the artifacts in a certain category: the review of the literature (aka literature review). Scientific Consensus on Anthropogenic Global Warming: A Pie Chart
Then, complete this writing task.
Pick ONE of the above examples of research (“Fantasy Book Covers,” “Heroines,” or “Scientific Consensus on Anthropogenic Global Warming: A Pie Chart”).
For the one you choose, state what you feel the research question was of the author in a single sentence. Then briefly explain what the research method used was. You may need to infer (that is, use evidence and logical reasoning to draw a conclusion about) the research method.
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Licensing & Attributions CC licensed content, Shared previously Composition II. Authored by: Janet Zepernick. Provided by: Pittsburg State University. Located at: http://www.pittstate.edu/. Project: Kaleidoscope Open Course Project. License: CC BY: Attribution |
CHOOSING A MANAGEABLE RESEARCH TOPIC
This is a link to a YouTube video called “Choosing a Manageable Research Topic”. The end contains a few “test yourself” questions. Consider WHY the answers are the way they are as you watch.
Watch this video online: https://youtu.be/BDuqfJQhFeM
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Licensing & Attributions CC licensed content, Shared previously Composition II. Authored by: Alexis McMillan-Clifton. Provided by: Tacoma Community College. Located at: http://www.tacomacc.edu. Project: Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License: CC BY: Attribution Choosing a Manageable Research Topic. Authored by: PfauLibrary. Located at: https://youtu.be/BDuqfJQhFeM. License: CC BY: Attribution |
DISCUSSION: POTENTIAL TOPICS (complete this activity in Blackboard Week 5 folder before class on Thursday, 7/11)
When you post your initial response you’ll need to check back to review submissions and respond to someone else (BEFORE CLASS ON THURSDAY).
After finishing this unit’s readings, as well as looking through the research essay prompt we’ll use to guide us the rest of the quarter, what are your initial thoughts about possible topic ideas? Come up with at least 5 potential ideas. At least one of those should be something “light-hearted”—something you would normally never consider as a possible topic, but still think it’d be fun to play with for a while. Don’t tell us which one the light-hearted topic is, though!
For each of the 5 ideas (or more!), tell us the following:
- 1-2 sentences about what it is and why it interests you
- 1-2 questions you have about the topic that you don’t already know the answers to. These can be small questions or large ones–whatever you would like to find out.
Your post should be about 100-150 words. It doesn’t have to be grammatically perfect, but should use standard English (no text-speak, please) and normal capitalization rules.
Respond to EVERYONE else in your group who has made a post before you. (That means that the first person to post doesn’t have to reply to anyone. The earlier you post, the less work you have to do!)
Of the list of 5 ideas your classmate has suggested, which do you like best as a paper topic? Why? What do you think the potential value of researching this idea further would be? Do you have any initial suggestions for research sources, or ways of narrowing down this idea further? Basically—we’re helping one another brainstorm.
Replies should be at least 50 words long each. They should contain serious, thoughtful replies that directly correspond to what your classmate has written.
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Licensing & Attributions CC licensed content, Shared previously Composition II. Authored by: Alexis McMillan-Clifton. Provided by: Tacoma Community College. Located at: http://www.tacomacc.edu. Project: Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License: CC BY: Attribution |