The research question should tell us what data needs to be collected and something about the structure of the project.\u00a0 It is not the same thing as a topic statement or the same as the questions you are asking of your research subjects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer to your research question should not already be clearly solved.\u00a0 They need to tie into a contemporary debate. If you are struggling to know what the contemporary debates are around your topic, try searching for your topic in The Conversation<\/a> as it is generally written by an academic for a lay audience but cites the academic literature that is relevant.\u00a0 If you are broadly struggling with a topic, try listening to some podcasts that you are interested in (99% invisible<\/a>, Planet Money\/the Indicator<\/a>, City of the Future Podcast | Sidewalk Labs<\/a>, etc..)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research questions should be a question (who where, what, when, why, how, do\/are\u2026?).\u00a0 Research questions should not begin with \u201cto what extent\u2026\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019ve never seen a \u201cto what extent\u201d that is actually asking about the extent, they are almost always asking \u201cHow\u201d or the \u201cdo\/are\/is\/have\u201d that comes after \u201cto what extent\u201d (do\/are).\u00a0 Thus, if your question begins with \u201cto what extent\u201d you should just delete the \u201cto what extent\u201d and see if what remains is what you wanted to ask (a yes\/no question). Similarly, if your research question begins with \u201cIn what ways\u201d you probably mean to ask \u201chow\u201d or your asking a yes\/no question.<\/p>\n\n\n\nResearch questions should be a question\u2026 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n