As we’ve learned in this course, academic essays are motivated by the desire to explore (and possibly solve) intellectual and interpretive problems. Intellectual and interpretive problems can be expressed as clear questions. In a research essay, it is important to develop a strong question since it helps to narrow your focus and guide your research and analysis.

What Makes a Research Question Strong?

A strong research question:

• Addresses a specific observation
• Connects to a specific conversation
• Uses specific key terms
• Requires analysis of the exhibit
• Is open-ended i.e. “how” questions that explore a range of possible answers
• Is answerable in terms of analysis of evidence from the exhibit

What If the Research Question Isn’t  Strong?

What should you do if your research question does not meet each criterion? Try the following suggestions.

• If the question does not address a specific observation, review and closely analyze the exhibit to observe interesting patterns or anomalies you want to explore and better understand.
• If the question does not connect to a specific conversation, research reviews (credible and scholarly), opinion articles and user opinions and ratings about the exhibit.
• If the question does not use specific key terms, name the specific pattern or anomaly you’re analyzing and identify the central concept that is related to your observation; this concept typically recurs in articles you find about the film.
• If the question does not require analysis of the exhibit, revise the question so that it is about the meaning, importance, or function of a specific aspect of your exhibit.
• If the question is not open-ended, revise the question so that it is not a yes/no question or cannot simply be answered by stating a fact.
• If the question is not answerable in terms of analysis of evidence from the exhibit, revise the question so that it is based on observations, not on assumptions or personal feelings.