Research is all about exploration. Sometimes we are exploring ideas, sometimes we are exploring current issues, sometimes we are exploring the lives of people or the repercussions of events. Asking questions is the key to this exploration.
We live in an information-rich society and enjoy technology that allows us to access this information quickly and efficiently. This widespread availability of information is a real boon when we are looking to answer quick questions such the starting time for a film, weather forecasts, or the lyrics to a favorite song. But, when we are conducting academic research, this availability of information can quickly lead to information overload.
Think of research questions as a grocery list designed to guide you through a huge “storehouse” of information. This list will provide you a great place to get started with your research, and allow you to efficiently locate and retrieve the most relevant knowledge possible to support your thesis. A list of questions can help prevent you from getting off track as you sift through large quantities of information, and even help keep you organized as you begin writing. Your list of questions may change and/or expand as your research progresses.
For this assignment, you will need to chose an issue to advocate for or against. But you will need to understand your issue thoroughly in order to make a good argument. Think of your research in terms of questions you need to answer: you aren't just looking for information, you're looking for ANSWERS!
In addition to your class lecture and discussion notes and your textbook, here are some websites that might help jumpstart your thinking on child advocacy issues:
It's important to begin your research learning something about your subject; in fact, you won't be able to create a focused, manageable thesis unless you already know something about your topic. This step is important so that you will:
Reference materials are highly credible sources filled with thorough yet concise information that communicates the who, what, when, why, and where information on your topic right at the start of your research.
Think of a television program involving a criminal investigation. Experts arrive on the scene to answer a fundamental question: What happened here? But their investigation merely begins with that basic question. Soon they are finding themselves answering more specific questions in order to figure out what happened. Who all was involved with the crime? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why did it happen? Were there any witnesses? It is only by answering a series of smaller questions that they are ultimately able to see the big picture.
You may start off with an overriding question such as Should workplace policies do more to encourage breastfeeding? But you'll soon find yourself asking many more questions on your journey. Below are some examples of additional questions one might ask about breastfeeding:
If you want to learn more about research questions, try our guide Develop Research Questions. You might also want to watch this short video explaining the benefits of research questions.