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DEVELOP A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION

One big challenge of the research essay is navigating the sheer volume of sources that the internet makes available on almost any topic you want to write about. Students often come to our offices in a panic, having found many more sources than they can possibly read in a single semester. We reassure them, however, that they don't have to read everything that's been written on their topic, that they aren't expected to become experts on the subject (though nobody will complain if they do). Their goal instead should be to use a certain number of sources to develop some fundamental skills of intellectual inquiry, the central one of which, as we said before, is to enter a debate or conversation, terms that, as we suggest in our preface, are deeply related.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut still, students will ask, which sources do we focus on? How do we reduce a huge pile of sources to a manageable number? Our answer is pretty much the same one most writing instructors will give you: by coming up with a good research question. A good research question will help you cut through the clutter by identifying which sources are most important to you and how you'll approach them.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut what is a good research question?

In our view, you probably won't be surprised to hear, a good research question identifies a controversy, posing an issue that people can agree or disagree about. In other words, a good research question does more than identify a general topic, about which everythingand, hence, ultimately nothingcan be said. Instead, it focuses on a debate or conversation that both narrows down your sources and helps you integrate or synthesize those sources under a common umbrella issue. Consider these examples:

• Why did X happen? Was it, as _________ argues, because of _________ or, as _________ contends, because of _________?%0D%0A
• What should we do about X? Should we _________, as _________ urges, or _________, as _________ argues?%0D%0A
• Is X as harmful as _________ insists, or does it have benefits, as _________ claims?%0D%0AIs it true, as some assert, that _________?%0D%0A
• What is the relationship between _________ and _________? Is it X, as most assume, or could it be Y, as one source suggests?

In addition, good research questions often come by tapping into your own personal interests:

• Throughout the many years that I have taken an interest in _________, I, probably like most people, have assumed that _________. When I researched the topic for this essay, however, I was surprised to discover that _________.
• X argues _________. In my experience, however, ________.

Exercise

3. To get going on a research essay, try the following steps:

Decide on a general topic for your essay, and then, working with a classmate, use the templates on page 206 to come up with at least two different research questions that address that topic. Analyze each question with your classmate, weighing its strengths and weaknesses until you decide which question you prefer. Then, having decided on a question, continue working with your partner to develop a list of eight to ten key terms and phrases that you can use both in your paper itself and to search for sources on the internet. After you've gathered your sources and a draft of your paper, have a classmate read your draft to determine if it exhibits any of the confirmation bias discussed in this chapter. Do you use sources only to support your position, or do you bring in a variety of perspectives, including those of naysayers? Do other perspectives come to mind that couldor shouldalso be included in your text? Work together to either track down sources that represent any excluded perspectives or come up with language of your own to represent them, as in, "It is sometimes said that . . ."

Finally, have your partner evaluate how well you integrate or synthesize your sources. Are all your sources aligned with one another and with your essay's central debate question or issue? Can you come up with strategies to heighten the alignment and eliminate any misalignment?

To prepare for Essay 3, a research essay, complete the following steps:

Decide on a general topic for your essay, and then use the templates on page 206 to come up with at least two different research questions that address that topic. List BOTH questions at the topic of your assignment. Then, analyze each question, weighing and listing the strengths and weaknesses of each until you decide which question you prefer. Underline or highlight the question you prefer after listing the strength and weaknesses.

Then, having decided on a question, develop a list of eight to ten key terms and phrases that you can use both in your paper itself and to search for sources on the internet (and in DBU's online library). List your sources in a Works Cited on your assignment. Do you use sources only to support your position, or do you bring in a variety of perspectives, including those of naysayers? Do other perspectives come to mind that could-or should-also be included in your text?

Finally, underline the sources that represent the naysayer position. Your Works Cited should have 5-7 sources.