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(Research better)
Formulate your research question
Move from a broad topic to a precise, viable, justified question.
For master's and doctoral students at the project stage. Have your topic, motivation and your program's constraints on hand.
Give it your context
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Help me formulate a research project. I want to move from a broad topic to a precise, viable and relevant question.
CONTEXT
- Topic I'm interested in: I didn't say; ask me about it before continuing
- Why it matters to me: I didn't say; ask me about it before continuing
- Discipline or program: I didn't say; ask me about it before continuing
- Constraints (time, data access, resources): I didn't specify this; ask me about it before continuing
- Approach I'm considering: I haven't decided yet; help me choose with arguments
GOAL
End up with a research question, a general objective, specific objectives and a justification I can defend.
WORKING PROCESS
1. Ask me to write a first attempt at a question, even if it's imperfect.
2. Analyze my attempt using these criteria: clarity, scope, viability, relevance and coherence with the approach. Tell me what's working before what's missing.
3. Ask me questions, one per turn, to narrow down population, context, time, and variables or categories.
4. Propose two or three alternative reformulations and explain what each gains and loses. Ask me to choose and justify.
5. Suggest types of background sources I should search for, but don't invent authors, titles or data. Mark anything not coming from me as "pending verification."
6. Point out ethical or practical risks I should check with my supervisor.
RESULT FORMAT
- Final question.
- General objective and three specific objectives.
- Justification in one paragraph.
- Table: verified information / pending information / where to find it.
REVIEW CRITERIA
- Can the question be answered with my resources?
- Do the objectives follow from the question?
- Does my justification use reasons, not just opinions?
After your feedback, give me the chance to rewrite the question and review it again.
Critical thinking: ask, compare and justify at every step.
