Research Basics
Which is closer to academic research? A. I read news about urban heat. B. I asked how urban heat affects students’ campus routines.
B. It has a clearer question and focus.
Topic seed: campus spaces. Name one research angle and one group.
Example: study spaces and students’ concentration.
What is too broad here?
How does technology affect students?
Technology, students, and affect are all too general.
Best evidence for understanding students’ personal experiences?
A. Interview data B. A dictionary definition
A. Interview data.
Add a target group: How does social media affect mental health?
How does social media affect university students’ mental health?
A student says, “My topic is mental health.” What is the next step if they want to read sources more purposefully?
Develop a more focused question, problem, group, or context.
Identify the tension: Food delivery is convenient, but it creates packaging waste.
Convenience versus environmental sustainability.
Which part is clearer?
A. students B. first-year engineering students
B. It gives a clearer target group.
You found three sources with different views. What academic skill do you need to connect them?
Synthesis.
Add a specific academic task: How do students use AI?
How do students use AI when preparing presentations or reading academic articles?
Why can a broad topic make academic reading difficult? Example: “social media and young people”
The reading purpose is unclear, so it is hard to decide which sources are relevant.
Topic: international students and belonging. Name one context that could make it researchable.
Dorm life, classroom discussion, group projects, campus activities, or peer interaction.
Diagnose this question: Why is social media bad for young people?
It is biased, too broad, and assumes social media is bad.
A student only uses sources that agree with them. What is the problem?
The argument may be one-sided. Academic writing should consider different views.
Remove the yes/no form: Is online learning good for students?
How do students experience online learning in terms of motivation or interaction?
A student has many sources but no clear question. What problem may appear in their writing?
Their writing may become a list of summaries instead of a focused synthesis or argument.
Topic: digital tools in class. Name one problem that could lead to an academic argument.
Unequal access, distraction, low participation, exclusion, or over-reliance.
This question is specific, but mainly descriptive: “How many students use food delivery?” How can it be made more useful for an academic argument?
Ask about reasons, impacts, tensions, or decisions, not only a number.
A student has a claim but no evidence: “Campus spaces improve belonging.” What should they add?
Relevant sources, examples, data, observations, or student responses.
Make this less biased: Why are students addicted to short videos?
How do students describe the role of short videos in their daily attention habits?
Which is a better research mindset? A. Find sources to support our opinion. B. Use sources to test and refine our idea. Why?
B. Academic work should allow ideas to change based on evidence.
Turn this observation into a research problem: Some students prefer silent study spaces, while others prefer social study areas.
Students may have different space needs for concentration, belonging, or stress management.
Diagnose and improve: How does technology affect students? Give two problems and one better version.
Too broad: technology, students, affect. Better: How do online learning platforms affect students’ motivation during group projects?
A team asks how campus spaces shape belonging. What sources could help build a stronger academic argument?
Academic studies, student data, observations, or campus design documents.
Improve this idea into a researchable question: Digital tools make classes more inclusive.
How do students experience inclusion or exclusion when digital tools are used in class?