How to Begin: Research Starts with a Question

One of the problems students often have with research is that they start with an answer instead of a question. For example, suppose you are writing a research paper on the subject of cloning. One of your early tasks will be to decide on a thesis statement--a proposition stated as a conclusion which you will then demonstrate or "prove" in your paper.

You probably have at least a vague opinion on the subject of cloning, or you wouldn't have chosen it as your research topic. The problem is that too often, writers begin by trying to form a thesis statement before asking any questions. The thesis might be something like this:

• Cloning research should be limited to non-human cloning     or
• The government should fund cloning research for treatment of human diseases.

These sound like pretty good thesis statements, right?
But Wait!
Should cloning research really be limited? Why? And if it should be limited, is this really the right limitation? Should the government be responsible for funding the research--or should private industry pay the bill? Who currently pays for cloning research? In fact, what research is already being done? How much do you really know about the subject of cloning? Where did your opinion come from?

If an opinion is refined into a thesis statement without being questioned first, the research effort is limited to finding information that "proves" what you already think. Your bias may cause you to ignore or misinterpret valuable resources, and--even more important--you won't learn very much because you won't have done any real research.

That's why research should always begin with a question--not an answer to a question that hasn't even been asked. So how do you start asking questions? Here are some suggestions to help you get started.

• Freewrite about what you know--and about what you don't know.

  Freewriting is a great way to begin exploring your topic. When you freewrite, you spend some time just word-doodling about your topic, discovering what you know and what ideas you have. Lots of writers use freewriting as a tool to help them begin the actual writing of the paper. Try using it earlier in the writing process to help you discover not only what you know but also what you don't know. Start by writing about what you know and then question what you know. How do you know this? Are you sure about it? What other possibilities exist? What questions do you have? Do a second freewriting about what you don't know, and you'll end up with a set of questions that will send you to research sources looking for answers.

• Do some brainstorming with friends.

  A hearty free-for-all discussion is a great tool for helping you question your topic. What do other people think about it? How are their ideas different than yours? What do they know that you didn't know? What are they interested in that you haven't thought of? If your friends share your original opinion, try taking the opposite side: challenge that opinion and ask them to try defending it. Be sure to take some notes as you brainstorm. You'll generate a lot of questions that need answers.

• Use an inventional heuristic.

  Invention is the process of finding out what you know and what can be known about your topic. A heuristic is a set of prompts or questions that help you explore a topic. Inventional heuristics have been around since the days of Aristotle, so there are quite a few to choose from. Here are a few just to get you started:

  Aristotle's Topics

  --Useful for exploring the nature of a subject, the topics help you identify what is unique about a subject, how it relates to other subjects, and what kinds of information can be used to discuss it.

  Stock Issues in Argument

  These categories will help you to explore a problem or issue and to develop a position paper or an argument about your topic.

  Toulmin Analysis

  This approach will help you analyze different positions on a topic, identifying their claims, the evidence cited to support those claims, and the assumptions underlying those claims.

  Burke's Dramatistic Pentad

  Burke's method of analysis uses drama as a metaphor for looking at the factors which make up a topic and discovering the relationships between them. This heuristic is especially helpful for analyzing a literary work.

  The Tagmemic Matrix

  The tagmemic matrix helps you explore a topic as a single element and as a small part in a much larger field. Use this heuristic to explore how one issue or idea might influence many others.

  The point of all of these methods--freewriting, brainstorming, heuristics, and many others--is to help you ask questions, to move beyond what you already know. In fact, when you find yourself at the point of confusion--when you have to dig to find answers--then you're ready to start researching!

  Finding Sources   |   Taking Research Notes   |   Citing and Documenting Sources