Picking Your Research Question
Research Myth
The identification of the research question is the first stage of the research process.
Once you have a question, you can identify the sources and frameworks you want to use for your proposal.
Research Reality
First, you will need to determine the general topic on which you would like to do research as well as the discipline in which will be operating (i.e. history, anthropology, chemistry, etc.), based on the frameworks with which you are familiar.
However, before you can pick a particular research question, you will need to do some background research, familiarizing yourself with the body of scholarship around your general topic. Depending on your disciplinary field, this background research might involve the following:
- Meeting with your faculty mentor(s) during office hours to discuss your topic area and get advice not only on what issues that you might consider to refine your topic but also on what scholarship you should prioritize.
- Use the library research guides to search for relevant scholarly books and articles. Once you have identified a few relevant works, you can consult their bibliographies to determine what else you should read.
- Set up a research consultation with a subject librarian.
This background research will accomplish two important objectives:
- You will be able to determine what gaps exist in the scholarship or, alternatively, what are exciting trends or developments in the scholarship to build or improve upon or adapt to a new case.
- You will be able to test the viability of potential research questions, ascertaining whether certain questions might be too broad or too narrow.