See also full lists of databases by subject: 

What makes a good research question?

1. Higher-order questions that require more than a simple “yes” or “no”:
   • “When / is / does” questions are closed; they tend to seek factual or yes / no answers.  Not as appropriate for research questions.
   • “How / which / why” questions are open; tend to encourage analysis, evaluation, and/or comparison.  More appropriate for research questions.
2. Questions that are specific enough to be answerable - e.g.
   • “How does the media affect children?”  This question is too broad - it would be difficult or impossible to adequately address all aspects of this topic in a single essay.
   • “How does violence on television affect children under the age of five?”  This question is much better - it is an open question, but is narrow enough to allow adequate discussion in a single essay.
3. Questions that are measurable or for which there is likely to be evidence - e.g.:
   • “What happens to people when they die?” While a philosopher or a theologian might try to address this question, it would be difficult to find evidence to address this as a research question.
   • “How does aging affect people’s beliefs about death and afterlife?”  This is an answerable, researchable question; evidence probably already exists to support your arguments.

Remember:  the very best research question is one that you want to answer!  If you are starting out with a topic like “violence on television” or “death and the afterlife”, begin by asking yourself, “what do I want to know about this topic?”

What makes YOU curious?

Find background information, clarify issues and define terms.