A research question centers and directs your research and ensures focus in your paper or project.
- Identify potential areas of interest
- ​Class readings
- Current science news
- Encyclopedias and handbooks
- Start with a broad topic (e.g. microplastics pollution)
- Google your topic to gather basic knowledge and vocabulary
- Make a detailed concept map (see below)
- Choose one aspect from your concept map
- Frame it as an arguable question
- How? What? Why?
- Not too broad, not too narrow
- Use specifics
- e.g. What is the effect of marine microplastics pollution on the food chain?
