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CAJCS Extended Essay Guide: FORMULATING A RESEARCH QUESTION

Important and relevant information to assist you in writing your Extended Essay.

TRAITS OF A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION

PHRASING YOUR QUESTION

The IB requires that all research questions are phrased as actual questions.

The IB requires that all research questions are phrased as actual questions. Statements, claims, titles or subtitles will score poorly on Criterion A on focus and method. Statement titles often lead to unfocused  essays, and that will affect your marks for Criteria B and C as well. In order to communicate the relevance, pertinence and focus of your research question to your reader (the examiner), it is recommended that you phrase your question effectively. In other words, the wording of your question matters. It sets expectations and captures the essence of your research. So which words should you include, and which phrases are better to avoid?  

USEFUL PHRASES FOR THE RQ

  • To what extent / degree...                                        
  • How effective is...
  • How have the decisions of... affected...
  • What is the role and significance of...
  • What is the best / cheapest / quickest method for....
  • In light of... how can one understand...
  • What has been the influence of... on...

TIPS

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  • Avoid questions that can be answered with 'yes' or 'no'.

  • Avoid inaccuracies, such as 'very long' or 'far away'.
  • Avoid poorly defined pronouns such as 'you' or 'we'.
  • Avoid sweeping generalisations, such as 'since the dawn of man'.
  • Avoid weasel words, such as 'some people say...'
  • Avoid questions that cannot be answered - or at least, argued. 

FEASIBILITY CHECK

 

1.Is the investigation doable, and doable within the time-frame and in 4000 words?

2. Is the RQ significant? Why is it significant?  (You may, for instance, show why the question is important, or that other studies have discussed the need for more research in this area)

3. Can you get all the evidence you need? How?

4. Can you get the materials and equipment, can you do the experiments?

5. Can you contact the people and get the information you need? Will they give it to you - and if they do, will you be allowed to use it?

6. Do you have the time for a pilot study as well as the real thing? (a pilot study is especially useful when you are conducting interviews and surveys )

7. What other resources do you need?

8. Have you checked the Choice of Topic and Treatment of the Topic sections of the EE Guide for your subject, to ensure that your approach meets requirements?

9. If you have doubts about any of these, you may need to refine or change your research question. 

CREATING A RESEARCH QUESTION

When the scope of your paper is too big, it's hard to dig through information & to write a paper with any depth. The goal of most research papers in is to seek a possible answer to a specific question. A focused research question helps guide your paper.

Watch the "Creating a Good Research Question"for a more in-depth explanation & examples.

IB COMMAND TERMS

From the IB Guide:

IB Command Terms can be helpful thought starters, and can guide you to forming a good research question. Try to incorporate an IB command term in the research question if possible.

 

INFOGRAPHIC

PHRASES TO AVOID IN YOUR RQ

  • Can you prove...
  • Is... to blame for...
  • Are we better off without...
  • What if everyone were to...
  • Could....possibly be the most....
  • Is it true that...
  • What is the history of...

NARROWING THE SEARCH

Test Your Knowledge: Forming a Research Question

Test your knowledge: Too Broad, Too Narrow

Get some practice evaluating a research question.

Developing a Research Question Tutorial

A thorough online tutorial designed to help you develop a workable research question.

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH QUESTION-TUTORIAL

Using the 5Ws to Develop a Research Question

From your pre-research, think about questions you might be able to ask regarding the topic. Most scholarly research examines fairly narrow topics & looks at relationships between concepts. One way to limit the scope of your topic is to ask who, what, where, when, why, & how questions.

Watch the "Using the 5Ws to Develop a Research Questions" video to see this questioning strategy in action.

RESEARCH QUESTIONGENERATOR

NARROW DOWN YOUR TOPIC