Crafting Your Focal Question

Crafting Your Focal Question

Assignment 2: Crafting Your Focal Question

A research question, also known as a focal question, is the starting point for a research study. Use the following exercise to practice organizing statements that lead to the development of a clear and specific question.

Learning through writing and research can and should be a communal venture. This assignment reinforces this idea and provides you with an opportunity to generously share your process of establishing a research question or hypothesis when setting out on the path of a writing assignment.

You will explore personal interests and identify possible topics you might like to research in later modules.

Based on your readings, identify a topic you are interested in researching and develop a research/focal question related to this topic to examine.

Your research question should meet the following criteria:

  • It must be researchable.
  • It must be of importance to the field.
  • It must be specific.

Post your topic area and research/focal question to the Discussion Area by Saturday, May 24, 2014.

Review and respond to your classmates through Wednesday, May 28, 2014. Share your perspectives on their topics, and offer your interest and experience with their topics. In addition, respond to at least two classmates’ research/focal question posts with suggestions or questions designed to help them develop a stronger research/focal question of their own.

Review your classmates’ feedback to you regarding your own focal/research question.

Based on the feedback about your topic of interest, refine and re-post your research/focal question. This will now define the remainder of your research in preparation for completing the literature review, a critical deliverable of this course.