If you are conducting research for an assignment, start by reviewing the assignment and highlighting any requirements for your topic. Your professor may have assigned a specific topic or given you flexibility to choose a topic on your own. Think about what interests you related to this subject or topic. Maybe there is something you discussed in class that you want to explore in more depth, or maybe there’s something missing from what you’ve already discussed. Think about how your interests connect with what the assignment is asking you to do.
You may already be familiar with your topic, or you may be starting from scratch with something you don’t know a lot about. Either way, you should do some background research to give yourself an overview of the topic before you dive in to research. Finding background information can help you understand key terms related to the topic, important events or people, and any existing conversation or debate about the topic.
You can find background information in a variety of ways:
As you look for background information, keep track of common terms, concepts, people, places, and dates that come up in these background sources. These will help you when you start looking for more in-depth sources. Some topics will have a specialized vocabulary that you should become familiar with to help you find information.
A research question helps you focus your research by providing a framework for your process and helping you identify a common theme to bring your research together. It also serves as a reminder that you are doing more than summarizing or reporting on a topic. You are actively engaging with your research to find an answer to a question and providing analysis and an argument to prove a particular point. Your research question will be informed by your background research, personal interest, and experience. It may change as you go through the research process.
A strong and effective research question should be:
Too Broad: Does social media impact education?
This research question is way too broad. Social media and education are two huge concepts that encompass a wide variety of topics. It would be difficult to craft a cohesive argument that answers this question.
Too Narrow: Does using TikTok in school make students less focused on science classes?
While this question does get more specific about social media and an element of education, it becomes a little too specific. This question doesn't have a lot of room to explore other elements of the issue, and could probably be answered with a yes or no. In addition, this has likely already been studied and an answer already exists. This question also leads in a specific direction - by asking if social media makes students less focused, the question is already assuming a negative impact. It should be worded in a more neutral way to allow for positive and negative findings.
Just Right: What is the impact of social media use on adolescents' concentration in the classroom?
This question is clear and focused by looking at a specific age group, setting, and factor to be studied. It is open-ended and can't be answered with a simple yes or no, leaving room for exploration and for an argument to be made. It may end up not being as unique as it could be - the issue of social media and school focus has certainly been studied before. It will be up to the researcher to find a unique angle to take. In terms of the level of detail, this question is a good starting point for research and can help lead to more effective searching.
Something to note: After doing research, this question may change! It could turn out to still be too broad, and the researcher may need to adjust to focus on a specific area like a certain social media platform, age group, or aspect of concentration.
The below guides from different libraries include resources and help for crafting research questions.