Literature Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies

A research question is the main question you propose to answer in your research paper. While formulating a research question may initially seem to the easiest part of conducting research, it may cost you valuable hours if you begin your research without a clear focus. Research questions...

• Are a preliminary step of the research process
• Are specific and guide you through your research
• Are iterative and may change during the course of your research and writing
• Save you time, allowing for more focused research

Example research question:

How do female managers' work-life balance decisions affect their opportunities for promotion to upper-level management positions in Fortune 500 IT companies?

UNCLEAR:  What are the harmful effects of cell phones?
Clear: What impact does mining for metals used in cell phones have on the environment?

The first version of this research question is a little unclear.  The revised version adds additional information that focuses the question.

When writing research questions:

• Try to avoid assumptions, for example, that something is harmful.
• Try to avoid ambiguity and be clear in all aspects of your question.

UNFOCUSED: What is the effect of pollution on waterways?  
Focused: How does phosphorus from agricultural industrial pollution impact rural watersheds?

The first version of this research question is a little too broad.  There are entire books written about pollution and various bodies of water. The revised version adds additional information that focuses the question to something that could be answerable in a research paper, by specifying the type of pollutant, pollution, and the specific water feature.

When writing research questions:

• Try to produce a question that is answerable in one paper.
• Be specific as possible.

TOO SIMPLE: What is the political party system of the United States?   
Appropriately complex: What role does the two-party system play in gerrymandering?

When writing research questions:

• Try to produce a question that is complex enough to answer with a paper rather than an internet search.

Resource: https://libguides.valdosta.edu/research-topic/writing-research-question