1.7 | Modifying a research question

No need to panic. Modifying your research question or topic is normal in research.  (Image created by Copilot)

As you search for information using keywords, you may need to tweak your question. Perhaps you can't find enough information, or maybe it's the opposite, and there is too much information to muddle through.

What do you do? Don't panic, this is a normal part of the research process!

Your initial research question is a draft question. As you gather information, you can modify your question to make it more concise, to address another problem, or even to change your topic to something different. 

You may need to revise your research question if it is too narrow or too broad. Use this guide to help you troubleshoot:

Your research question may be too narrow if:

  • you can't find enough information and/or what you do find is tangential or irrelevant;
  • the information is so specific that it can't lead to any significant conclusions;
  • your sources cover so few ideas that you can't expand them into a significant paper; or
  • the research problem is so case-specific that it limits opportunities to generalize or apply the results to other contexts (Michener Institute of Education at UHN, 2018).

To  broaden your question and/or to find more information, look for parallel associations that you can use toward your question using the who, what, where, when, how, and why strategy (Badke, 2021; Gill, 2014; Labaree, 2024):

WHO - Who are the key players, countries, organizations, institutions, interest groups, or figures involved in the event? Who is affected by this? Who cares about it?

WHAT - What is the topic, and what are the implications? What are the issues, outcomes, and important details around the topic and/or question?

WHERE - Where did things happen? What region, city, country, or location is most affected by the issue? Where is this issue most prominent?

WHEN - When did things take place? When did the issue become important? How did the issue evolve over time? Is this an issue that has changed over time? Is this an issue that will evolve and become more/less significant over time? How has the perception of this issue/topic changed/evolved over time?

HOW - How is this information presented in primary vs. secondary sources? How has this topic been perceived by different people/audiences/organizations/etc.? 

WHY - Why should someone care about this issue? Why is this issue unique or important? Why should someone read your research?

Badke, W. (2021). Research strategies: Finding your way through the information fog (7th ed.). iUniverse.

Gill, C.M. (2014). Essential writing skills for college and beyond. Writer's Digest Books.

Labaree, R.V. (2024, May 4). Organizing your social sciences research paper. Research Guides.  https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

Michener Institute of Education at UHN. (2018, August 14). LibGuides: Writing Tips and Tricks : Developing Research Questions. Learning Resource Collaboratory. https://guides.hsict.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=723856&p=5180962

Your research question may be too broad if:

  • there are too many sources, it is difficult to decide what to include or exclude, and/or you can't determine what is most important;
  • the information is too general and/or it is difficult to develop a clear framework or outline for examining the research problem;
  • it is difficult to identify or pinpoint the methods/procedures/solutions to your research question or issue;
  • there is a lot of conflicting information about the question and/or issue; or
  • the information covers a wide variety of concepts or ideas that can't be integrated into one paper (Michener Institute of Education at UHN, 2018).

To narrow down your question or topic (Badke, 2021; Labaree, 2024):

FOCUS - Choose one lens or aspect of the question or problem you are trying to answer

BREAK THINGS DOWN - See if you can break things down into smaller parts that you can isolate and describe

REFINE YOUR SEARCH METHODS - Your topic or question may not be the issue. Instead, it is your searching strategy. Module 3 will cover techniques to focus your search to only the information that is relevant to your research project. 

ISOLATE THE LOCATION - Instead of covering everything, perhaps you can focus on a single geographic region or location. ex. Instead of discussing bird migration in all of North America, you discuss bird migration only in Iowa. 

LIMIT YOUR CATEGORIES - Narrow your focus to a certain population of people (e.g., teens, indigenous tribes on the east coast, students attending ISU, etc.), types (e.g., urban, rural, agricultural, technological, etc.), or phenomena (e.g., acid rain, drought, locust swarming, panic-shopping, etc.).

LIMIT YOUR TIMEFRAME -  Look at issues during a shorter period of time. For instance, within a decade, or even within a span of a few months, depending on your topic.

LOOK AT RELATIONSHIPS - Describe the relationships between different variables, perspectives, or issues. ex. The effect of the drought on bird migration in Los Angeles, how locust swarming has affected agricultural production in Nigeria, medical care for the homeless in rural vs. urban populations in Iowa, etc.

Badke, W. (2021). Research strategies: Finding your way through the information fog (7th ed.). iUniverse.

Labaree, R.V. (2024, May 4). Organizing your social sciences research paper. Research Guides.  https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

Michener Institute of Education at UHN. (2018, August 14). LibGuides: Writing Tips and Tricks : Developing Research Questions. Learning Resource Collaboratory. https://guides.hsict.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=723856&p=5180962

You can always go back to the section on formulating your research question for more ideas. Remember that strong research questions are:

  • specific and focused
  • manageable
  • researchable and defensible

Oftentimes, your question may require a few tweaks rather than a complete rewrite or change in topic. 

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Key takeaways

Your research question may need to be tweaked in order to make it fit your assignment parameters and your research. 

You are not alone! You have a subject expert Cy-brarian, who can help you throughout your academic career. Reach out and get to know them. They can save you a lot of stress and time.