Once you've narrowed your topic to something workable, restate it as a focused research question. Your research question is the question that you answer within your paper. Think of it as your research topic in question form. It pinpoints exactly what you want to find out and gives your work a clear focus and direction.
Elements of a successful research question:
- Focuses on a single problem or issue
- Requires analysis and can't be answered with a simple yes or no answer
- Researchable using the resources available to you
- Feasible to answer within the timeframe and word limit of your paper
- Specific enough to answer thoroughly
- Has identifiable consequences and effects
- Leads to possible outcomes and/or solutions
EXAMPLE
Topic: social media and academic performance
Narrowed topic: the effect of smartphones on the attention span of high school students
Research question: what effect does daily use of smartphones have on the attention span of high school students?
How to Write a STRONG Research Question for Research Papers (Smart Student)
