Choosing a Research Topic
What makes a good topic and how do you pick one?
Understand What a Research Question Is & Why It Matters
Build Effective Research Questions
- Crafting Effective Research Questions Toolkit from Britannica
Use the strategies and tools on this Academic Toolkit to formulate clear, focused, and researchable questions across various disciplines. By following this guide, you’ll develop meaningful research questions that ensure a solid foundation for effective and focused research endeavors. - Worksheet: K-W-L
Figure out what you already KNOW, what you WANT to know, and finally what you LEARNED.
- Worksheet: Mind Map Brainstorm for subtopicsSketch out subtopics for your main topic.
- Worksheet: Question PyramidAsk questions using the 5 W's.
- Worksheet: Pre-Research PlannerTry this 3-step method to plan BEFORE you start researching.
Ask Your Research Question
Research is problem solving with information.
All research starts with a question about a specific topic. Your research helps you form your answer to that question.
Your question might be implied, but it's best to actually form a question. Consider a question that requires you to think critically about the topic, or about a specific angle on that topic.
Try filling in this formula, replacing X, Y, and Z with what interests you.
I am studying X to investigate Y in order to understand Z.
Now that you have that statement, what question are you trying to answer? What problem are you trying to solve with the information you find?
Now you just need to find X - your topic!
