Getting Started on Your Literature Review : Focusing Your Research

What is a Research Question?

A research question guides and centers your research. It should be clear and focused, as well as synthesize multiple sources to present your unique argument. 

Examples:

1. For instance, the following question is too broad and does not define the parameters of the research question: Why did the chicken cross the road? (The question does not address which chicken or which road.)

2. Similarly, the following question could be answered by a hypothetical Internet search: How many chickens crossed Mill Street in Carbondale, IL on February 6, 2019? (This question could be answered in one sentence and does not leave room for analysis.)

3. A more precise question might be the following: What are some of the environmental factors that occurred in Carbondale, IL, between January and February 2019 that would cause Farmer Miller's chickens to cross Mill Street? (This question can lead to the author taking a stand on which factors are significant.)

How Do You Formulate A Good Research Question?

Choose a general topic of interest, and conduct preliminary research on this topic in current journals to see what research has already been done. This will help determine what kinds of questions the topic generates.

Once you have conducted preliminary research, start asking open-ended “How?” “What?” and Why?” questions. Then evaluate possible responses to those questions.