Questions drive research. The most rewarding research projects start with questions you care about and want to explore.
Give it a try:
- Start by brainstorming a list of questions
- Write down all the questions you are curious about and the questions you want to answer with your research
- Next, add the questions you think your audience might have about the topic.
This work will pay off when you use these questions to generate great searches later!
Tips and Examples
Example research question maps
Mapping out your research questions can help you identify the aspects of your topic that are most interesting for you.
Undergraduate Research Projects
Looking for examples of undergraduate research projects? From the lab to the studio shows how UCLA students are exploring their passions in their research.
Related Resources
About this tutorial
Awards and Recognition
Authors
Contributors
UCLA Powell Library, Emily Appleton, Kelly Miller, Undergraduate Research Center - Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Jeannie Chen
Learning Outcomes
- Develop a general topic or idea into a set of exploratory research questions
- Narrow (and broaden) research questions using a variety of strategies (e.g., geographic area, cultural aspects, groups of people, time spans, or other strategies)