A big part of getting ready to do research is coming up with a question that clearly indicates the focus of your research. So why do you need to take the time to define your research question? Because research is easier and quicker when you are focused on a specific, concrete topic or question that is appropriate for the level at which you are working.

What makes a good research question?

If you begin your research without a specific question in mind, your research will take longer, be more difficult, and you risk becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information you will need to sort through.

A well-planned research question will guide your research process, and stop you from going off in unnecessary directions.

A good research question allows you to clearly identify what it is you want to know…

It is a balancing act to come up with a question that is focused enough to be meaningful, but not so specific that you can’t find any information.

Think about these questions.

Are they too vague, too specific, or just right?

(Hint: Question 1 is too vague, Question 2 is too specific…)

Question 1: Why do people drive electric cars?

Question 2: How many Ontario drivers prefer electric cars over other types of cars because they like how they look?

Question 3: What are some of the reasons why Canadians choose to purchase electric cars?

There are some common problems you may encounter when trying to come up with a research question. Some students have trouble deciding what area to focus on from a range of topics they find interesting. Sometimes you might know a general area you want to focus on, but not a specific enough topic within that area. Some students may be able to settle on an area and topic, but have problems trying to properly put their research question into words.

But I find everything interesting…how can I

focus?

I know a general topic, but I’m not sure how to be more specific…

I know what I want to research, but I just can’t put my question into

words.

One way that you can get past most of these difficulties is to take the time to do some background research.

Getting background information on a topic helps you to figure out if your topic is manageable.

If you find that there is a lot of information or very little information on a topic, you can adjust your research question to focus on an area that is either more broad or more narrow.

Background information can also help you identify some more specific topic areas within a broader subject in order to come up with a specific question to answer.

Background research is also good to help you learn more about the language and words used to describe a topic – this can help you when you are trying to put your research question into words.

Hmmm…this article refers to electric

cars as hybrid cars. Maybe that’s a

better term to use when I’m searching!

When doing your background research, you are trying to locate introductory sources that give basic background information about your subject.

You can find this information by searching the internet, or by using the library to search for general reference sources.

Encyclopedias are a great place to find background information. A Google search provides a wikipedia article. A Discover search (via the Library) provides a research starter and an Encyclopedia Britannica article. The Discover search was just as fast as the Google search but with more reliable results.

Some good general reference sources you can search for using the library are encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference books. We also have access to a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals that may help you gain background information on your topic.

Now that you have:

Thought about what you want to research.

Come up with a manageable research question.

Done some background research to focus your question.

It’s time to put your research question into the language that search tools understand.

Keywords!

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Research Question