Farah Nuraini June 2016

Exploring Research Questions

• Questions represent what you hope to learn about the topic.

• Clear and appropriate research question, or set of interrelated questions, forms the foundation of good research

Why exploring questions?

• Define the overall plan

• From Topic to research question

• Brainstorming questions

Define Overall Plan

Clarify the concept• Short term outcome

• Mid term outcome

• Long term outcome

• Involved stakeholders

www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Asking_the_Right_Research_Questions.pdf

Define the scope• What is the goal?

• What stakeholders want to gain from the project?

• Any specific requirement?

• How does the project align with our long term goal?

• Timeline?

• Metrics?

www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Asking_the_Right_Research_Questions.pdf

From Topic to Research Questions

Research questions should be:

• Clear and well-defined

• Specific and focus

• Measurable

• Question shouldn't be too general or too narrow

• Help you to take a side/decision

Explore questions.

• Ask “how” and “why” about your general topic.

• Consider the “so what” of your topic. Why does this topic matter to you? Why should it matter to others?

• Identify which could be explored further

https://libraries.indiana.edu/sites/default/files/Develop_a_Research_Question.pdf

Determine and evaluate your research question.

• Is your research question aligned with the topic you want to explore?

• Is your research question clear?

• Is your research question focused? (Research questions must be specific enough to be well covered in the space available.)

• Is your research question appropriately complex? (Questions shouldn’t have a simple yes/no answer and should require research and analysis.)

https://libraries.indiana.edu/sites/default/files/Develop_a_Research_Question.pdf

Hypothesize.

• If you are making an argument, what will you say?

• Why does your argument matter?

• How might others challenge your argument?

• What kind of sources will you need to support your argument?

https://libraries.indiana.edu/sites/default/files/Develop_a_Research_Question.pdf

Brainstorming Questions

1. Structured

2. Unstructured

http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/researchcourse/explore.html

Structured1. Put the title or topic of your paper at the head of

your paper.

2. Think of three or four categories that would serve as subtopics.

3. Write down each of your subtopics, leaving a few inches of space between each item.

4. Once you have emptied your brain, take a short break from your work.

Structured(2)

5. When you return with a fresh and rested mind, glance over your work to see what kinds of patterns emerge.

6. Number your main ideas so they create a flow of information.

7. You have a rough outline for your paper!

Unstructured1. Write your main idea or topic in the middle of the paper.

2. Start writing down thoughts, in no particular pattern.

3. Once you've exhausted the random thoughts that come into your head, start using prompters like who, what, where, when, and why. Do any of these prompters generate more words and ideas?

4. Consider whether prompters like "opposites" or "comparisons" would be relevant for your topic.

5. Once you have emptied your brain, take a short break from your work.

Unstructured(2)6. When you return with a fresh and rested mind, glance over your

work to see what kinds of patterns emerge.

7. You'll notice that some thoughts are related to others and some thoughts are repeated. Draw yellow circles around the thoughts that are related. The "yellow" ideas will become a subtopic.

8. Draw blue circles around other related ideas for another subtopic. Continue this pattern.

9. Once you finish drawing circles, you may want to number your individual colored circles in some sequence.

Brainstorming questions with team…

1. Explain the context and what we actually want to learn

2. Set the rules (see slide 8 and slide 10)

3. brainstorming

4. discuss the questions: the purposes of the questions, etc.

5. Shape the patterns

In brainstorming…

• Don't worry about repeating yourself. Just keep writing!

• Don't worry about the order of your subjects as you write

• Don't worry if one subtopic has ten circles and another has two

• Keep attaching pages as necessary.

Resourceshttp://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Asking_the_Right_Research_Questions.pdf

http://vanderbilt.edu/writing/manage/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Formulating%20Your%20Research%20Question.pdf

https://libraries.indiana.edu/sites/default/files/Develop_a_Research_Question.pdf

http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/researchcourse/explore.html

Thank You!