Developing Your
Research Question
Do you know what general area you’re
interested in, but not sure of your
research question?
Adapted from: O'Leary, Z. (Author). (2003). Developing your research question.
London: Sage Publications. Retrieved September 1, 2009, from
http://www.uk.sagepub.com/resources/oleary/olearychapter03.ppt
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The Importance of Good Questions
A good research question:



Defines the investigation
Sets boundaries
Provides direction
(O’Leary, 2004)
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Defining Your Topic
If you are finding it a challenge to
generate a research topic you can:



Hone in on your passions
Use your curiosity
Use a concept map to organise your ideas
(O’Leary, 2004)
3
Concept Map of Potential
Research Topics
(O’Leary, 2004)
4
The Concept Map Revisited
Do parents teach
their daughters that
worth is dependent
You’re
so
pretty!!
on external beauty?
Attraction to
opposite sex
You look so
nice in that!
Compliments
Desire to be
popular
School
ridicule
Peers
Poor Self
Image in
Young Girls
Parents
Weight
obsessed
mother
Diet ads
Do young girls
have an unrealistic
perception of
normal?
Media
Size of ‘stars’
is newsworthy
Thin TV
Stars
Magazine
Models
(O’Leary, 2004)
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The Reality
Research questions are not always the
decision of the researcher.
Problems include:



Appropriateness of the topic
Your ability to get teacher support
Rules of the assignment (like EE or IAs)
(O’Leary, 2004)
6
From Interesting Topics to
Researchable Questions
An ‘angle’ for your research can come
from:





personal experience
theory
observations
contemporary issues
search of the literature
(O’Leary, 2004)
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For Example…



You want to do an EE about WWII but
you don’t study history…
Film Studies – “How did movies represent WWII
to audiences in the United States and what
impact did this have Americans' attitudes about
the war?”
English – “How did British poets portray soldiers
in WWII and what impact did this have on British
attitudes about the war?”
(Lindemann, 2004)
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Too Broad…

Any attempt to discuss World War II for
example, in its entirety is doomed from
the start. If it took more than 5 years to
fight WWII, you cannot expect to cover
it in any detail in 4000 words or a 10
minute presentation.
(Lindemann, 2004)
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Rule of Thumb…

If entire books have been written about
the subject, you need to narrow your
research question
(Lindemann, 2004)
10
Too Narrow…

Sometimes a student will refine a topic
to the point where he or she cannot
find enough sources to develop it
properly.
(Lindemann, 2004)
11
Rule of Thumb…

Look closely at what kinds of sources
are readily available for your research
BEFORE you commit yourself to a topic.
(Lindemann, 2004)
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Test Yourself

Select what you think is the best
research question …
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Choose A, B, or C



A: What marketing strategies does the
Coca-Cola company currently apply?
B: What is the Coca-Cola company's
future marketing plan?
C: What marketing strategies has the
Coca-Cola company used in the past?
(Copley, Greenberg, Handley & Oaks, 1996)
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And The Answer Is…

Question A is the best research
question.
(Copley, Greenberg, Handley & Oaks, 1996)
15
Choose A, B, or C



A: What are the 14 different disease-causing
genes that were discovered in 1994?
B: What is the importance of genetic
research in our lives?
C: How might the discovery of a genetic basis
for obesity change the way in which we treat
obese persons, both medically and socially?
(Copley, Greenberg, Handley & Oaks, 1996)
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And The Answer Is…

Question C is the best choice. You can
logically posit what "might happen" in
the future based on what "has
happened" in the past.
(Copley, Greenberg, Handley & Oaks, 1996)
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Tweak the Question

Forming the right ‘question’ may take
time and it will develop as you do your
research, you don’t have to rush.
(O’Leary, 2004)
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Good Question Checklist
Is the question right for me?
 Will the question hold my interest?
 Can I manage any potential
biases/subjectivities I may have?
(O’Leary, 2004)
19
Good Question Checklist
Is the question well articulated?
 Are the terms well-defined?
 Are there any unchecked assumptions?
(O’Leary, 2004)
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Good Question Checklist
Can the question be answered?
 Can information be collected in an attempt to answer the
question?
 Do I have the skills and expertise necessary to access this
information? If not, can the skills be developed?
 Will I be able to get it all done within my time constraints?
 Are there any potential ethical problems?
(O’Leary, 2004)
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Good Question Checklist
Does the question get the tick of
approval from those in the know?
 Does my teacher/supervisor think I am
on the right track?
(O’Leary, 2004)
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Evaluate the Class’s Questions
 Use the Good Question Checklist to
evaluate the questions on the screen.
 Remember that a critical evaluation
points out what’s good, what’s bad and
how to improve the thing being
evaluated.
(O’Leary, 2004)
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Works Cited
Copley, C., Greenberg, L., Handley, E., & Oaks, S. (1996). Developing a research question.
Retrieved September 1, 2009, from Empire State College: State University of New York
Web site:
http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/0/f87fd7182f0ff21c852569c2
005a47b7
Lindemann, R. B. (2004, August 10). Developing a research question. Retrieved September 1,
2009, from Dannville Area Community College Library Web site:
http://www.dacc.cc.il.us/library/OnlineModules/RschQuest.htm
O'Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to Doing Research. London: Sage.
Chapter Three
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