Asking Research Questions and Establishing The Significance of One'S Research

“ASKING RESEARCH QUESTIONS
AND ESTABLISHING THE

SIGNIFICANCE OF ONE’S
RESEARCH”
WHAT IS RESEARCH QUESTION?
 A research question is the question around which you center your research. It should be:
*CLEAR: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its
purpose without needing additional explanation.
*FOCUSED: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the willing
task allows.
*CONCISE: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
*COMPLEX: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no”, but rather requires
synthesis and analysis of ideas and sources prior to composition of an
answer.
*ARGUABLE: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.
WHY IS RESEARCH QUESTION ESSENTIAL
TO THE RESEARCH PROCESS?
 Research questions help writers focus their

research by providing a path through the
research and writing process. The
specificity of a well-developed research
question helps writers avoid the “all-about”
paper and work toward supporting a
specific,arguable thesis.
SAMPLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
* UNCLEAR: How should social networking sites address the harm they
cause?
* CLEAR: What action should social networking sites like MySpace and
Facebook take to protect user’s personal information and privacy?
* The unclear version of this question doesn’t specify which social
networking sites or suggests what kind of harm the sites might be causing.
It also assumes that this “harm” is proven and|or accepted.
* The clearer version specifies sites (MySpace and Facebook), the type
of potential harm (privacy issues), and who may be experiencing that harm
(users). A strong research question should never leave room for ambiguilty
or interpretation.
The next helpful step is to barrange the
specific topic with questions to come up with the
essay’s Main Research Question. Although it is
helpful to begin with questions that ask WHO,
WHAT, WHEN,or WHERE, there should be used as
background Research Questions. For example, the
answers to the questions listed here can be readily
locked up.
*What does the “TINGI-TINGI SYSTEM”
mean? What is the nature of TINGI?
* Who exactly practices this?
* When did this practice begin?
*Where is this practiced? In what
context\s?
Questions that ask HOW and WHY are more
likely to invite a deeper research and lead to
more interesting answers.
* Why is TINGI-TINGI SYSTEM a prevalent
practice in the Philippines?
* How did it develop? How was it practiced
in the past? How is it practiced in today?
Finally, the student should pose a
tougher question, the “SO WHAT?”
question: Now that I know all of
this, so what? What makes my
research socially or culturally
significant?
* Brainstorming Research Question:
What cultural and social values, as well as
realities, led to the practice of buying and selling by
TINGI? What impact does it have on buyers and
sellers? What larger implications does this have about
life in the Philippines and its socio-economic system,
specially today?
 * Main Research Question:
Why is the continued use of the TINGI-TINGI
SYSTEM in twenty-first century Philippines
significant?
The “SO WHAT?” question is the main
research question. Another way to arrive
at this question is to begin by naming the
topic, adding a reason for studying the
topic, and adding significance to the
reason for studying the topic, as in the
example here.
 *Research Question: Why is the continued use of the TINGI-TINGI SYSTEM in twenty-first century Philippines significant?
*State your topic:
I am studying TINGI culture in the Philippines.
*Add a reason for studying it:
I am studying TINGI culture in the Philippines because I want
to find out what it reflects about the values of Filipinos.
* Add significance to this study:
I am studying TINGI culture in the Philippines because I want to
find out what reflects about the values of Filipinos in order to help
my reader understand why there are larger implications of the
practice in the twenty-first century.
* Research Question:
Why is the continued use of the
TINGI-TINGI SYSTEM in twenty-
first century Philippines
significant?
STEPS TO DEVELOPING A RESEARCH
QUESTION:
 1. Choose an interesting general topic. Most
professional researchers focus on topics they are genuinely interested
in studying. Writers should choose a broad topic about which they
genuinely would like to know more. An example of a general topic
might be “Slavery in the American South” or ‘Films of the 1930’s”
 2. Do some preliminary research on your general

topic. Do a few quick searches in current periodicals and journals
on your topic to see whats already been done and to help you narrow
your focus. What issues are scholars and researchers discussing, when
it comes to your topic? What questions occur to you as you read this
articles?
 3. Consider your audience. For most college papers, your
audience will be academic, but always keep your audience in mind
when narrowing your topic and developing your question. Would that
particular audience be interested in the question you are developing?
 4. Start asking questions. Taking into consideration all of

the above, start asking yourself open-ended “how” and “why”
questions about your general topic. For example, “Why were slave
narratives effective tools in working toward the abolishment of
slavery” or “How did the films of the 1930’s reflect or respond to the
conditions of the Great Depression?”
 5. Evaluate your question. After you put a question or even a
couple of questions down on paper, evaluate these questions to determine
whether they would be effective research questions or whether need more
revising and refining.
 6. Begin your research. After you’ve come up with a question,

think about the possible paths your research could take. What sources should
you consult as you seek answers to your question? What research process will
ensure that you find a variety of perspectives and responses to your question?

Asking Research Questions and Establishing The Significance of One'S Research

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Asking Research Questions and Establishing The Significance of One'S Research

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Asking Research Questions and Establishing The Significance of One'S Research

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

“ASKING RESEARCH QUESTIONS

AND ESTABLISHING THE

*CONCISE: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.

 Research questions help writers focus their

 2. Do some preliminary research on your general

 4. Start asking questions. Taking into consideration all of

 6. Begin your research. After you’ve come up with a question,

You might also like