Religion and Theology - Information Competency: A solid research question

Searching for literature starts with asking yourself: what am I looking for? After all, the outcome of this question determines the scope of the literature search. In essence, it does not make a difference if you are writing a paper or an article, dissertation or a book. In all cases, there is the need for a solid research question and sub-questions. Therefore, take considerable time to think these through before rushing to the available databases and search engines. Note that literature search should be conducted for each subtopic of your research. This might or might not cover your research questions.

Of course, you are not just going wait for the right question to pop up. Several tips can be helpful in this process.

• Get familiar with a field of interest. Knowing what has already been written about a topic also means knowing what is nót yet been dealt with. There may be gaps or contradictions in the current research. Ask yourself who will benefit from an answer, and how so?
• Draft an outline. This will structure both the paper and the research itself. It can be of great help if you formulate a working title. Realize that a working title is of temporary use; dare to rephrase it once the research is done.
• Use brainstorming. Pick a piece of paper and write down everything which comes to mind and select good ideas. Another strategy may be to start clustering: write the main subject in the middle of a page, write subtopics around the hub, and connect them with arrows.
• Be sure to come up with a workable research question. This begins with: why, who, where, when, how or what.

More information about formulating a research question? Consult this presentation.