Topics
Using A Topic to Generate
Questions
Research requires a question for which no ready
answer is available. What do you want to know
about a topic? Asking a topic as a question (or
series of related questions) has several advantages:
1. Questions require
answers. A topic is hard to cover
completely because it typically encompasses too
many related issues; but a question has an answer,
even if it is ambiguous or controversial.
| TOPIC |
QUESTION |
| Drugs and crime |
Could liberalization of drug laws reduce
crime in the U.S.? |
2. Questions give
you a way of evaluating answers.
A clearly stated question helps you decide which
information will be useful. A broad topic may
tempt you to stash away information that may be
helpful, but you're not sure how. A question also
makes it easier to know when you have enough information
to stop your research.
3. A clear open-ended
question calls for real research and thinking.
Asking a question with no direct answer makes
research and writing more meaningful. Assuming
that your research may solve significant problems
or expand the knowledge base of a discipline involves
you in more meaningful activity of community and
scholarship.
Developing a question from a broad topic can
be done in many ways. Two such effective ways
are brainstorming and concept mapping.
brain·storm·ing
noun: 1. A method of shared problem solving
in which all members of a group spontaneously
contribute ideas. 2. A similar process undertaken
by a person to solve a problem by rapidly
generating a variety of possible solutions.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the
English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000 |
Brainstorming is a free-association technique
of spontaneously listing all words, concepts,
ideas, questions, and knowledge about a topic.
After making a lengthy list, sort the ideas into
categories. This allows you to inventory your
current awareness of a topic, decide what perspectives
are most interesting and/or relevant, and decide
in which direction to steer your research.
| con·cept map·ping
noun phrase: 1. A process, focused on a topic,
in which group or individual brainstorming
produces a visual graphic that represents
how the creator(s) thinks about a subject,
topic, etc. It illustrates how knowledge is
organized for the group or individual. |
You may create a concept map as a means of brainstorming;
or, following your brainstorm, you may take the
content you have generated and create your map
from it . Concept maps may be elaborate or simple
and are designed to help you organize your thinking
about a topic, recognize where you have gaps in
your knowledge, and help to generate specific
questions that may guide your research.
Combining brainstorming and concept mapping (brainmapping,
if you will) can be a productive way to begin
your thinking about a topic area. Try to establish
as your goal the drafting of a topic
definition statement which outlines the area
you will be researching and about which you will
present your findings.
Follow these directions
to make your own concept
map
|
