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Research Help Guide

How to Create a Research Question

At this early stage, you want to develop a question or problem to guide your research, reading and, writing. No need to come to a firm argument at this point: you can learn while you read, and let that help you come to a conclusion or thesis statement.

Finding Interesting Ideas

  • Review course readings and classroom or tutorial discussions.

  • Skim your notes from course readings and lectures for issues, topics or approaches

  • Examine your course syllabus for course goals and context that may provide some ideas

Driving Questions

  • Develop some driving questions (or problems) to guide your research.

  • Begin by considering course themes or issues relevant to your assignment.

  • Examine these and then pay attention to questions that come to mind.

Example of a Research Question:

In using the topics of poverty and childhood food insecurity, here are a few driving questions to consider:

  • Are city-run programs successful at reducing the risk of childhood food insecurity?

  • What is being done at the federal, provincial or city level to reduce childhood food insecurity?

  • Why are poverty and childhood food insecurity linked?