Q. How do I develop a good research question?

Your instructor has probably assigned a fairly broad research topic and is expecting you to develop a question that is searchable. A good research question is broad enough that you will find some articles related to it, but narrow enough that you won't be overwhelmed by too many sources.

Here are a couple of quick tips:

1. Think about what you already know about the topic.

Do some Google searching or look at a Wikipedia page on the topic. You'll get an overview of the subject, some ideas for keywords, and any controversies or opposing viewpoints on the topic that you should be aware of.

2. Apply the 5Ws: Who? What? Where? When? Why (or How)?.

Here's an example. You decide to write on the high cost of university tuition, but this is obviously too broad. Consider asking some, or all, of the 5Ws.

• Who? First year students, or mature students, or international students
• What? High tuition, affordability
• When? Currently, last 10 years
• How? Graduation rates, degree completion, dropout

Putting it all together, you might come up with a searchable question such as:

"How has the high cost of tuition impacted the graduation rates of mature students?"

See the library's related FAQs linked below.