Lesson 1: Choosing Your Research Question
A research question is the starting point for serious historical inquiry. A good research question is specific, answerable, and interesting — it has a real answer that requires real research to find, and it is a question you genuinely want answered.
The difference between a topic and a research question is important. ‘The history of golf balls’ is a topic. ‘How did the transition from featherie to gutta-percha change who could play golf, and why?’ is a research question. The second version demands analysis, not just description.
Good research questions often involve change over time (‘How did…change?’), comparison (‘How was X different from Y?’), causation (‘Why did…happen?’), or significance (‘What was the impact of…?’).
Choose a research question from something you encountered in Weeks 1-5 that genuinely interested or puzzled you. The best research projects begin with authentic curiosity.
A good research question is specific, answerable through evidence, and genuinely interesting to you. It should demand analysis, not just description.
Choose your Stage 2 research question from any topic covered in Weeks 1-5. Write it at the top of a new page in your history journal. Then write: (1) why this question interests you, (2) what you already know about the topic, (3) what you need to find out, and (4) where you will look for sources. This is your research plan.