What makes for a good historical research question? This lesson is intended to spark conversation with high school seniors about how to revise unclear, unfocused, poor research questions (adapted from the George Mason University Writing Center). Even the revised questions need work!

1. Crafting your research
question
Adapted from the Writing Center at George
Mason University

2. What is a research question?
A research question is a clear, focused,
concise, complex and arguable
question around which you center your
research. You should ask a question about
an issue that you are genuinely curious
about.

3. Developing a research question
● Choose an interesting general topic.
● Do some preliminary research on your
general topic.
● Consider your audience.
● Start asking questions.

4. Evaluate your question.
● Is your research question clear?
● Is your research question focused?
● Is your research question complex?

5. Unclear
● Unclear: How has doping ruined sports
for Americans?
● How can you make this a better research question?

6. ● Unclear: How has
Clear doping ruined sports for
The unclear version of this
Americans?
question doesn't address specific ● Clear: How do
performance-enhancing drugs, nor Americans reconcile
does it specify specific sports or
time periods. It also assumes that
their love of baseball
doping has ruined sports for heroes with the
Americans and that this is proven disappointment of
and/or accepted. The clearer
version specifies a drug (steroids) dethroning due to
a sport (baseball) a specific person steroid use? A look into
and case (Mark McGwire) and the case of Mark
deletes an assumption. A strong
research question should never McGwire.
leave room for ambiguity or
interpretation.

7. Unfocused
● How has advertising evolved in America?
● How can you make this a better research question?

8. Focused ● Unfocused:How has
advertising evolved
The unfocused research in America?
question is so broad that it ● Focused: How did
couldn't be adequately the Volkswagon
answered in a book-length
piece, let alone a standard "Lemon" advertising
college-level paper. The campaign
focused version narrows revolutionize
down to a specific ad
campaign (the Volkswagon advertising in 1960s
"Lemon") and a specific time America?
period (the 1960s). When in
doubt, make a research
question as narrow and
focused as possible.

9. Too Simple
● Too simple: What kinds of recreational
drugs have been popular with teenagers
from the 1990 to the present?
● How can you make this a better research question?

10. Appropriately Complex
● Too simple:What kinds
of recreational drugs
have been popular with
The simple version of this question
can be looked up online and
teenagers from the
answered in a few factual 1990 to the present?
sentences; it leaves no room for ● Appropriately Complex:
analysis. The more complex
version is thought provoking and
From the 1990s to the
requires both significant present, how has the
investigation and evaluation from rise of prescription
the writer. As a general rule of
thumb, if a quick Google search drug abuse among
can answer a research question, it’ teenagers changed the
s likely not very effective. approach to drug abuse
prevention programs in
the U.S.?

11. Peer Review
● Take a few minutes to write several
possible research questions.
● Review and evaluate in research
groups.

12. Homework
● Create a profile for the Ning network,
http://history12seminar2012-13.ning.
com/
● Read chapters 1-2 of the Turabian guide.
● On your Ning blog, write your first
reflection for week one. See instructions
on the blog.