Asking Good Questions
📋 What it is
A good research question is focused, answerable with evidence, and open enough to explore — not a simple yes/no.
🗣️ Coach says
Research starts with the QUESTION, and a good one does half the work. Too broad ("space?") and you drown; too narrow ("is the Moon round?") and there’s nothing to explore. Aim for focused-but-open.
🧠 Memory hook
Focused + answerable + open. The question does half the work.
😂 Giggle
Why did the researcher bring a flashlight to the library?
To shed some light on the subject!
😲 Whoa!
Scientists often spend more time refining the QUESTION than answering it — a sharp question points straight at the evidence.
✅ Quick check: What makes a research question "good" rather than too broad or too narrow?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
It’s focused, answerable with evidence, and open enough to explore — not a whole huge topic and not a one-word yes/no.
A sharp question shapes the entire research that follows.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Take a big topic and shrink it into one focused, open research question.