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PSYC 341: Stats & Research Design II: Research Question Development

Getting Started

Questions to Consider:

Ask yourself open-ended questions to focus your topic. Using the five W's can help:
  • Who: demographic focus (gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status)
  • What: aspects and impacts of the topic (sociological, psychological, economic)  
  • Where: geographic location
  • When: either present day or a particular time period in the past
  • Why/How/So What!: importance, significance (societal, individual)

 

Keep in Mind:

  • You don't have to answer all of the questions. Some might not apply
    or be helpful.
  • Your research question might evolve and change as you review
    the literature.

From a Broad Topic to a Focused Research Question

Broad Topic                              Sub-Topic                             Narrowed Topic                                     Research Question
Computer games Computer game violence Computer game violence and children How does violence in computer games affect children?
Eating disorders Teenagers and eating disorders Teen peer pressure and bulimia What role, if any, does peer pressure play in the development of bulimia in teens?
Transfer students Retention Effect of new student orientation What is the correlation between transfer student retention and receiving new student orientation?

For Reference