Finding and Evaluating Sources: Background You’ll Need

  • Explain what research is and what makes a good research question

What is Research?

At its most basic level, research is the process of discovering information you don’t yet know. While this may seem simple, it involves key assumptions that are essential for success in this course—and beyond.

Understanding Research Questions

Research begins with a knowledge gap—something you don’t yet know. It is always goal-directed and starts with a specific question. This research question is the statement of the thing you don’t know that motivates your research.

Some questions have straightforward answers that can be found quickly, while more complex questions require gathering and evaluating information.

Homework questions vs. Research questions

Example 1: Does Columbus, Ohio, have a commercial airport?

  • A quick Google search confirms that it does.

Example 2: Do any airlines offer direct flights from Kansas City to Columbus, Ohio?

  • A search on travel websites shows that no direct flights are available.

Example 3: What’s the best way to travel from Kansas City to Columbus, Ohio?

  • This requires comparing travel options based on factors like cost, time, and personal preferences. A business traveler may prioritize speed, while a college student with a pet may choose a more affordable option.

Although all three questions we listed above require information gathering, for the purposes of this course we are going to call questions like #1 and #2 “homework questions.” These are homework questions because you can find the answer just by going to a single reference source and looking it up. We will address the “research question” like #3 for which developing a fully functional answer requires both gathering relevant information and then assembling it in a meaningful way.

In other words, a research question differs from a homework question because research is the process of finding the information needed to answer your research question and then deriving or building the answer from the information you found.