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Diploma in Higher Education Studies

Asking a good research question

HES 103 · Research and Study Skills for University Study — Week 10 of 16

CourseHES 103
Week10 of 16
SemesterI
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

Asking a good research question

  1. From a topic to a question
  2. Making a question clear and narrow

What you will be able to do

  • 3.1 Formulate a clear research question.

Activity

Turn three broad topics into focused research questions.

Study materials

Further resources

  • Writing Guide, 12.5: Formulating a research question · PDF · OpenStax Writing Guide with Handbook (2021), 12.5 on turning a topic into a clear, narrow research question, pp. 402–404 · for registered students
  • Writing Guide, 13.1: Starting with a research plan · PDF · OpenStax Writing Guide with Handbook (2021), 13.1 opening on research questions and planning your search, pp. 424–425 · for registered students
  • Improving the development of students' research questions and hypotheses · Open-access article · Strangman & Knowles (2012), International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. How introductory students learned to turn a topic into a research question. · for registered students
Materials marked “for registered students” open in the student portal, which is set up as soon as you receive final acceptance.
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Course plan
  • Week 1: Studying independently: planning your week
  • Week 2: What is research?
  • Week 3: Primary and secondary sources
  • Week 4: Finding information: libraries, databases and search engines
  • Week 5: Can I trust this source?
  • Week 6: Making notes from sources
  • Week 7: Referencing: why and how
  • Midterm: Midterm evaluation
  • Week 9: Plagiarism and how to avoid it
  • Week 10: Asking a good research question
  • Week 11: Collecting your own data: surveys and interviews
  • Week 12: Planning a project: aims, steps and a timeline
  • Week 13: Presenting what you found
  • Week 14: Reflecting on your learning
  • Week 15: Review and coursework completion
  • Final: Final assessment and submission
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