First of all, the most important thing is to find a topic that interests you! Start by making a list of things you would like to know more about or better understand. Do a little research. Refine your questions to include more details or specifics, and don’t be afraid of formulating complex or multi-part questions.
There are many kinds of research questions we can ask, so you may find it helpful to start with some of the following:
What Questions … focus your attention on a particular aspect of a topic by asking questions about facts, such as, what is the cause of a particular problem or what caused something to occur.
For example: What are the driving forces behind DIY subcultures and practices? What happens to people without access to new technologies? To what extent are people’s identities related to consumption?
Why Questions … focus your attention on a particular aspect of a topic by asking for an explanation of something, such as why something happened or why it did not happen, or why one thing is better than another.
For example: Why is user-generated content or participatory media better than mass media? Why do people object to genetically modified foods?
How Questions … focus your attention on aspects of a topic related to process or origins.
For example: How can citizens become more engaged in making science policy? How did post-World War II domestic technologies serve to reinforce traditional gender roles? How can people become more ethical consumers? How is the city shaped by transportation technologies?
Should Questions … focus your attention on aspects of a topic related to the appropriateness of a particular action, policy, procedure, or decision.
For example: Should file-sharing be illegal? Should advertising be allowed in public? Should stem cell research be prohibited? Should Facebook’s privacy policy and terms of used be changed?
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See also: Developing a Research Question, Developing a Research Question 2, Creating a workable research question, Using A Topic to Generate Questions
Please remember that you can email your question(s) to me anytime, but they need to be approved by the 29th.
- Anne
