Developing Research Questions

Types of Research Questions

Good academic communication should include an introduction in which your

topic and thesis is clearly defined, an analysis of your topic, and a clear
conclusion.
Start out by introducing your topic, communicating to your audience why the topic
is important, and providing enough background information to allow your audience
to understand the analysis that is about to take place. Your introduction is also the
logical place to embed your thesis.
Examples of defining/introductory questions:
o What is _________________?
o Why is ____________ an important issue?
o What background information is necessary to understand ______________?
o What are the different types of ____________?
All academic research demands analysis. Some projects lend themselves well to a
cause/effect structure ("What caused hip-hop to emerge and what are some of the
effects its had on American culture?), while other assignments require a pro/con
format ("What are the positive aspects of stem cell research? What are some of the
negative implications?). Some projects can easily conform to both modes.
Examples of analytical/body questions:
o What are the causes of ________________?
o What are the effects of ________________?
o What are the “pro” arguments about_______________?
o What are the “con” arguments about ______________?
o How can I refute arguments about ______________?
o What is being done about ______________?
Your conclusion allows you to demonstrate to your instructor that you have
synthesized the information you found and clearly answered your thesis question
(informative projects) or effectively proven your thesis statement
(persuasive/argumentative assignments).
Examples of concluding questions:
o What do I think should be done about ________________?
o Based on my research what do I think about ________________ and why?