How to Develop a Research Question
Research is a continuous process of asking questions, finding answers, and asking more questions. You should develop questions to guide your research on your topic.
You don't want to investigate the entirety of your subject area, you want to focus on one or two areas only. For example, if writing on religion, you may choose to focus on:
- How did the Puritan religion frame the role for women in America?
- How did the Great Awakening specifically give space for women to expand their role in the family and or community?
- How did the religion (pick one of your own), either inhibit or expand women’s role in society?
Watch the video below about how to develop a good research question.
How to Find Background Information
Background information is the foundational information you must know to create a research question or topic. Background information gives you an overview of basic ideas or concepts related to your topic. It also introduces you to the academic language that experts may use to describe your topic.
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Credo Reference
Reference books including dictionaries, encyclopedias, quotations, and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific reference titles.
The Essential Guide to Writing History Essays
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The Essential Guide to Writing History Essays
by
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9780190271152Publication Date: 2020The Essential Guide to Writing History Essays is a step-by-step guide to the typical assignments of any undergraduate or master's-level history program in North America. Effective writing is a process of discovery, achieved through the continual act of making choices - what to include orexclude, how to order elements, and which style to choose - each according to the author's goals and the intended audience. The book integrates reading and specialized vocabulary with writing and revision and addresses the evolving nature of digital media while teaching the terms and logic oftraditional sources and the reasons for citation as well as the styles. This approach to writing not only helps students produce an effective final product and build from writing simple, short essays to completing a full research thesis, it also teaches students why and how an essay is effective,empowering them to approach new writing challenges with the freedom to find their own voice.
See chapter 3.1.: "Questions Historians Ask"