Developing

a research
question for
your EE
Steps:

Pick a subject Choose a topic Choose a sub- Research/Read Narrow down Draft a RQ
topic your focus

YOUR FIRST RQ WILL UNLIKELY REMAIN UNCHANGED. IT WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE

THROUGHOUT YOUR EE.
 Searching vs Researching

Searching involves something Researching involves more

quick. An immediate answer. commitment, it's more time-
consuming and more in-depth.
Implies a critical judgement of
the sources.

At this stage of the process, if you

can't find many resources, it is
advisable to change your sub-topic
Subject: HISTORY
Topic: African History
Sub-topic: Apartheid

Time to do some Careful: TOO NARROW: Careful: TOO BROAD:

reading.
You will struggle to find You will need much more than
resources and to write 4,000 4,000 words ​to reach a meaningful
words ​ conclusion
For example: the black market of For example: the role of women
You must narrow
down your focus. DVDs in the Shunyi district of during World War II
Beijing
Narrowing down your focus
THEMES LINKED WITH APARTHEID THAT I AM INTERESTED IN:

Nelson Mandela
International response
Land alienation
Migration during apartheid
Pass laws
Mixed marriages
Trade embargos
Black Consciousness movement
Sharpeville massacre This is what I am most interested in
Demographics
Black education
 More reading to narrow down
even more
For example, after reading about the sub-topic of the Sharpeville massacre, we could
look at:

Pass laws
Consequences in South Africa (impact on the PAC and ANC)
Diplomatic relationships afterwards
Police brutality
UN reaction This is the one I am most
interested in and where I can
find the most resources
 11

3 methods to narrow
down your focus to a RQ
Method 1:

Homewood-Flossmoor High School Library, January 2015

Method 2:
I want to learn about/investigate ........................................................

because I want to find out

(who/if/what/where/when/why/how)..................................................

in order to understand/determine
.....................................................................................................

For example:

I want to learn about the long-term effects of violent videos games, because I
want to find out if it affects children, in order to determine if it impacts their
behaviour and whether it makes teens more violent towards their peers.

RQ: To what extent does the use of violent video games at an early age lead to
aggressive behaviour in teenagers towards their peers?
Method
3:
Do a mind
map to
help you
define
your RQA
 Make sure your RQ is precise, focused, and concise

Choose your words carefully

Drafting Try to start with: To What extent...?, or How

your RQ successful...?, as this will allow you to contrast
arguments

Can your question be challenged? Is it debatable? Can

you find arguments for and against?

Can your question be answered in 4,000 words?

 Sample phrasings
To what extent does/did ....................... play a role in/affect .....................?

To what extent is/was .................................. responsible for..................?

How effective is/was................................ in reflecting/explaining/raising/ ....................?

How significant is/was ............................in limiting/changing ..................?

To what extent does .................................. use ........................ to reflect/as a mean to ...................?

To what extent does...................................... portray..................... in order to....................?

To what extent does ............................. challenge ................... in ......................?

To what extent is/was ................................. significant in explaining ...........................?

To what extent is/was ............................. contributing to..............?

To what extent is/was ................................ successful/unsuccessful in ..................?

For science: how does................................. explain ...................? / what factors affect ...................?
Draft Research Questions.
For example on our topic of the Sharpeville Massacre:

To what extent was the Sharpeville massacre a direct factor in the degradation of
South Africa's diplomatic relationships during Apartheid?
OR
To what extent did the Sharpeville massacre contribute to the degradation of South
Africa's diplomatic relationships during Apartheid?
OR
To what extent did South Africa's diplomatic relationships with Europe worsen
because of the government's response to the Sharpeville massacre during
Apartheid?
If you are struggling to refine your RQ
For example:

Time limit (century, time period)

Add limiting Materials
factors. Community / target group
Reliability
Geographical location (countries, continents)
Case studies
Methodologies
Accuracy
Processes
Techniques
Texts / authors
Concepts
Themes
Brands
Don't worry
Your RQ will continue to evolve and take shape throughout your research, according
to your findings and your reading.

Maybe this will mean narrowing down your focus, or broadening it.

Maybe a source will change your thinking, or take you in a difference direction.

Your research and/or experiments will determine your final RQ.

 Proving or disproving a RQ

It is OK for your question to bring either a positive or a negative answer. You can answer
YES or NO, as long as you document it, research it, and argue it well.

Don't be afraid to explore questions that might bring a negative answer to your RQ.

It is also OK to reach a conclusion that you didn't expect and that goes against what you
originally thought the answer might be.

If you can answer yes to your question straight away without even doing any research,
then it is not really debatable and therefore not a very good RQ.
 How to phrase your question:
The Best questions
TO WHAT EXTENT/TO WHAT DEGREE questions are the most common ones, and allow you to
develop several arguments in sucession, and debate/contrast several points of view and arguments.
For example: To what extent was Apple Inc.’s acquisition of Beats Electronics LLC an
effective growth strategy?

WHY questions can be good as they allow you to contrast papers and points of view. They usually
have a cause-consequence relationship. But be careful, trying to answer a "WHY" question could
lead your argument into speculation.
For example: Why wasn't Hong Kong returned to China in 1945?

Questions starting with HOW SUCCESSFUL/HOW EFFICIENT/HOW IMPORTANT can also

lead to good RQ as they bring an evaluation element. You will have to define how you will
measure the success or the efficiency.
For example: How important was the Battle of Midway to the outcome of the Pacific War?
Important point on
questions starting with: You will need to express clearly (in your
'How successful...' introduction or methodology) HOW you
'How important...' MEASURE the success, the importance,
'How efficient...' the efficiency, the effectiveness, the
'How effective...' significance etc. What factors do you
'How significant...' consider to judge the importance,
success, efficiency etc...

Otherwise your question has no meaning.

 How to phrase your question:
The Not-So-Good questions
WHAT questions: 2 problems with WHAT questions:
It could lead you to descriptions instead of analysis.
Trying to answer a WHAT questioncould expand the needed research beyond the scope of
your EE.
For example: What are the most ethical and efficient methods (through current technologies)
that private organizations can use to make Mars habitable for human life?

HOW questions can be weak and could lead you to very descriptive essays.
For example: How is the subject of death treated in selected poems by Emily Dickinson and
Emily Bronte?

HOWEVER: FOR SCIENCE EEs it is very common for questions to start with HOW, IS, DOES,
WHAT.
 Must avoid also:

Questions starting with:

IN WHAT WAYS: they will be descriptive and just bring a list of reasons/points.
WHICH: which questions suppose a very long list of comparisons, or a very exhaustive
research, which the EE won't allow for you to reach a successful conclusion in 4,000
words.
SHOULD/WOULD/WILL questions must be avoided. They will lead to speculation /
imaginary facts.

Avoid also:
Questions including AND in the middle, which basically lead to 2 separate research
questions. It automatically assumes that the answer to your first question is YES, so it is
not a good question.
For example: how does the performance of fuzzy logic compare to that of artificial neural networks
in computer object recognition, AND to what is one preferable than the other?
 PSYCHOLOGY and LANGUAGE A or B. Start your question with
'To what extent..'.

Some SCIENCES. Start with 'How...', 'What factors...' or 'To what

extent...'.

help in BUSINESS and HISTORY. Start with 'How successful...', 'How

efficient...', 'How important...', 'To what extent...'.

phrasing LANGUAGE A or B. Start with 'To what extent...'.

questions VISUAL ARTS. Start with 'How...', 'How successful...', 'How

efficient...', 'To what extent...'.

ALL OTHER SUBJECTS. Start with 'To what extent...'.

 CLEAR. Is your question too wordy? Too long?

FOCUSED. Do we understand the focus of the research straight

away?

Things to SPECIFIC. Is the question specific enough to be answered in

remember 4,000 words?

RESEARCHABLE. Will you find enough information or data on

Make sure this topic? Will you understand this data?
your
question is: ARGUABLE. Can this question allow for analysis, debate,
comparison, and the development of a reasoned argument?

ANSWERABLE. Can your research and argumentation lead you

to a clear answer?
Bad RQs vs Good RQs
Bad RQs vs Good RQs
Bad RQs vs Good RQs
Bad RQs vs Good RQs (from EE guide)
 Your turn
(or try the other methods mentioned earlier)
Link to sample questions
(questions from past EEs)

https://islondon-
my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/ccolson_islqatar_org/EtPSuF
c6RJxFsoPOWQdHypMBuotdPfBI1JSlTZ6L9pqffw?e=nTHMIG
Questions?