CHAPTER 1:

THE RESEARCH QUESTION

This chapter explains how and why to break your research question
into its basic subjects and to develop a list of synonyms for those subjects.

 

THREE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS you will develop in college are THINKING, GATHERING INFORMATION, and WRITING. To help you develop these skills, many of your teachers will require you to write term papers, essays, speeches, reports, etc., based on LIBRARY RESEARCH.

When you face one of these challenges, remember this important fact: term papers, essays, etc., usually are ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS, and YOUR REASONS FOR THINKING YOUR ANSWERS ARE GOOD ONES.

Step One is to SELECT A SUBJECT THAT INTERESTS YOU. Why? Well, you might just spend a looooooong time on this project. Won't you enjoy the time more if you actually care about the answer to your question? (A word of caution: don't be too tied to your first choice of a subject. If you begin to look for information and can't find much information, even after getting help from your instructor or a librarian, don't be stubborn. Modify your subject or change it entirely!)

Step Two is to TURN YOUR SUBJECT INTO A QUESTION. Why? Because only after you have a question in mind will you be able to decide reasonably whether a particular book, article, or other source of information will be useful to you. You need only look at information sources that seem likely to help answer your question. 

At the beginning of a research project, students often are afraid that they won't find much information on their subject. Actually what usually happens is that shortly after walking into the library they feel lost and overwhelmed. If you know how to turn a subject into a question, you can avoid this feeling. 

How do you turn a subject into a question? If your subject is drug abuse ask a question about drug abuse. For example, “what is drug abuse?” Or, "why does drug abuse occur?" Is your subject engineering? Ask a question about engineering. For example, “what training is required to become an engineer?” Or, “why do some suspension bridges collapse?” Is your subject .... Well, you get the idea. No matter what your subject is, TURN THE SUBJECT INTO A QUESTION.

Be aware that questions come in two basic flavors. FACTUAL QUESTIONS begin with words like "what," "where," "when," and "who" and usually have answers that are either right or wrong. INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONS begin with words like "should" and "why", or "what is the best." The answers may rest on facts, but they also require you to make judgments and interpretations, and to express some opinions. And even after you have made the best argument you can, reasonable people might still disagree. Usually college-level term papers, speeches, and reports require answers to interpretive questions.

Here are some examples of factual and interpretive questions: 

factual: what is the capital of Idaho?
        interpretive: should the capital be moved to Nampa?
factual: how many salmon were caught in Idaho last year? 
        interpretive: should salmon be a protected species?

Step Three is to MAKE THE QUESTION CLEAR AND PRECISE. Why is this important? First, because instructors are inclined to reward clear, precise answers, and there is no such things as a clear, precise answer to a vague question. Second, vague questions waste time. The process of making a question clear and precise literally forces you to understand exactly what it is that you want to know. Precise questions also help you discover early in the process whether you are on the right track. If you know exactly what you are looking for and cannot find it, then you also know that it is time to change your question or get help.

Here are a couple of examples of the difference being discussed here:
 
imprecise: why do people do drugs and stuff?
      precise: why do teenagers smoke marijuana?
general: why are there wars?
    specific: what were the major causes of WW II?

Step Four is to HAVE YOUR INSTRUCTOR APPROVE THE QUESTION. You have to satisfy their expectations if you want a good grade. Doesn't it make sense to find out in the beginning whether you are going in the right direction? Only your instructor can tell you with confidence. And if you are headed in the wrong direction, they can immediately help you make the needed adjustments.

Click on link to go to the Assignments page and print Assignment ONE

http://library.boisestate.edu/skills/locate/assignments.htm