1. Creating a Research Question
The table below illustrates how a research questions develops from a broad topic to a
focused question. Flow the four examples down the columns to see how the questions
develop. Then use the blank form provided below to develop your own research question.
Broad Topics Pollution Learning Online Social Nutrition
Disabilities Networks
Oil spills Dyslexia Facebook Diets and
Restricted Topic nutrition
Oil spills and Dyslexia and Facebook and Vegetarianism
Narrowed Topic wildlife children marketing
How do oil spills How is the What are How does a
Research affect wildlife American Facebook’s vegetarian diet
Question populations? educational business maintain
system helping practices in adequate
dyslexic marketing? nutrition?
children?
Now try out your topic idea below. It is useful to work out several variations of the topic idea
to see how it could change slightly and be improved or amended.
Broad Topics
Restricted Topic
Narrowed Topic
Research
Question
Derived from Exercise 11, in Burkhardt, J. M., MacDonald , M. C., & Rathemacher, A. J., (2003).Teaching Information Literacy; 35
Practcial Standards-based Exercises for College Students, American Library Association, Chicago, p27-28.
G://Publis Services Department/Instruction/Class AssisngmentsCreating a Resaerch Question.doc June 08 (Springfield College)
Adapted by JR/Fenwick Ref, July 2010