55 Instructor Resources: Asking Questions & Composing Research Questions
Asking Questions
In A More Beautiful Question, author and speaker Warren Berger demystifies why asking pointed questions and engaging in the process of critical thinking that often follows questioning can be both mentally draining as well as immensely rewarding. Asking questions is an innate ability, but one few of us pay attention to or try to enhance.
Much like a dance routine or a meditation practice, the more we practice asking questions, the easier that practice becomes. Developing a personal practice of asking questions is particularly poignant in challenging times for our society. Or, as Berger states,
With the constant change we face today, we may be forced to spend less time on autopilot, more time in questioning mode–attempting to adapt, looking to recreate careers, redefining old ideas about living, working, and retiring, reexamining priorities, seeking new ways to be creative, or to solve various problems in our own lives or the lives of others… In such times, the ability to ask big, meaningful questions–and just as important, to know what to do with those questions once they’ve been raised–can be the first steps in moving beyond old habits and behaviors as we embrace the new.
Likewise, in this TED Talk by Karen Maeyens, the importance of asking questions is expanded.
Exercise: Question Trees
Oftentimes, one question leads to another question, so it can be helpful to document all the questions swirling around in your mind as you think about what you want to write about this semester.
A question tree is one way to keep track of all the questions you have. To begin this exercise, start with a root question. This root question should be the main question you’re thinking about at the start of your inquiry process.
Once you’ve written down your root question, pause to think about what question you want to ask next. What more do you need to learn in order to answer this first question you’ve posed? Notice in the video below that the root question we’ll be discussing is: ‘Is working an on-campus job a good idea?” Now, draw a tree trunk and carefully write inside of the trunk this next question, which we’ll call the trunk question.
Notice, then, in the next branch in the video that we consider the question: ‘Will working on campus help me graduate on time?
Then, spend a little time with each branch question to determine if there are additional offshoot that will or could be answered to help you understand your branch questions. Write down anything that comes to mind. These will be your twig questions.
As a final step, look back at all of your questions. You might circle the ones you find most interesting and use these to narrow your focus. Keep in mind that just because you began with a root question doesn’t mean that you need this first question to be the question that drives your upcoming writing project. You can choose to proceed with a branch or a twig question instead. Whatever you decide, the question tree presents an opportunity to creatively externalize your intellectual inquiry and then prioritize the primary question you’ll use to drive your project forward.
Writing research questions
It is likely that at some point during your degree you will be required to create your own research question. The research question states the specific issue or problem that your assignment will focus on. It also outlines the task that you will need to complete.
There is no universal set of criteria for a good research question. Different disciplines have different priorities and requirements. A good research question for a history paper will differ from a good research question for a biology paper. In general, however, a good research question should be:
- Clear and focused. In other words, the question should clearly state what the writer needs to do.
- Not too broad and not too narrow. The question should have an appropriate scope. If the question is too broad it will not be possible to answer it thoroughly within the word limit. If it is too narrow you will not have enough to write about and you will struggle to develop a strong argument (see the activity below for examples).
- Not too easy to answer. For example, the question should require more than a simple yes or no answer.
- Not too difficult to answer. You must be able to answer the question thoroughly within the given timeframe and word limit.
- Researchable. You must have access to a suitable amount of quality research materials, such as academic books and refereed journal articles.
- Analytical rather than descriptive. In other words, your research question should allow you to produce an analysis of an issue or problem rather than a simple description of it (more on this below).
How to create a research question
The following guide was created by Monash University Library. Check out their webpage for specific activities that can help you with this process.
1. Determine the requirements
Before you can construct a good research question you will need to determine the requirements of your assignment.
What is the purpose of this assignment? Is it to test a proposition? Is it to evaluate a set of data? Is it to state and defend an argument? Check the assignment instructions and discuss the purpose with your tutor or lecturer.
Determining the purpose will help you to choose the most appropriate topic and word your question in the most useful way.
2. Choose a topic
Have you been given a list of topics to choose from or can you choose your own? Check the assignment instructions and if you are still in doubt discuss the requirements with your tutor or lecturer.
The best approach is to choose a topic that you are interested in. If you are interested in your topic you are more likely to invest more time, effort, and creativity into your research and writing. The greater your interest, the more likely it is that you will produce an assignment that is interesting to read.
3. Conduct preliminary research
Before you write your question it is advisable to read a small number of relevant academic sources. Limit your reading to recently published material and perhaps one or two influential works on the topic. The goal here is to familiarise yourself with the key debates in academic writing on the topic.
Reading in order to develop a research question is different from reading in order to answer it. Focus on the main ideas and arguments (these are usually found in the introduction and the conclusion). You don’t need to read every word or take down extensive notes at this stage, as you will probably come back to the text at a later date.
4. Narrow down your topic
Having conducted some preliminary research you should now be in a position to narrow down your topic.
In most cases you will need to narrow down your focus to a specific issue or debate within the broader topic. This is because it is much more effective to cover a single issue or dimension of a topic in depth than to skim the surface of several.
There are several ways that you might go about narrowing down your topic:
- Think about the subtopics, specific issues, and key debates that exist within the broader topic.
- Think about the value of focusing on a particular period of time, a particular geographical location, a particular organisation, or a particular group of people.
- Think about what you want to say in your assignment. What are the key points and arguments that you want to get across? Which subtopic, timeframe or other limitation would allow you to make these points in the most effective way?
5. Write your question
Now that you have narrowed down your topic you can turn your attention to the wording of your research question.
As mentioned previously, the research question must outline a clear task that you will need to complete.
Remember that you will need to keep the purpose of your assignment in mind when thinking about the wording of your question and that the purpose will differ from discipline to discipline (see 1: Determine the Requirements).
In general, however, a good research question requires you to analyse an issue or problem. How and why questions are therefore more useful than what or describe questions. Other useful words that you might use are critique, argue, examine and evaluate. For definitions of these terms see Instruction Words.