Avoid writing questions that:

are too broad eg What do Scottish people think of the University's development plans? Are you going to ask everyone in Scotland? Can you find a sample of people which is big and accurate enough to represent the Scottish public? No, so this is a bad research question.
are too narrow eg How many of the students in April Entry feel inspired by the new University buildings ? This only gives you a number: it doesn't explain anything, show why this number is important or provide sufficient information to develop into a presentation/report.
you can answer with yes or no eg Do students like the food on campus? Too narrow again: you can't develop this into a meaningful presentation or report. Also, might a more abstract, less mundane topic help you to develop your academic language and cope with your future academic studies?
you will find it difficult to research eg To what extent does demolishing old buildings contradict the University's stated sustainability goals? Good question and excellent critical thinking - but can you get the information to answer it?

	Created by Rachel Elmslie over 10 years ago

In this resource you will consider how to write research questions to guide your SIS project.

April Entry Project: Writing research questions