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Assignment: Write a Research Question and Conduct Preliminary Research

After you have read the week’s Lesson Materials, please develop a research question that you will build on during this class. Your paper should include a paragraph or

two to provide some background about the topic you have chosen and the gap you see in the literature that leads you to ask this question. Also, explain your search

method to access the most relevant information about your topic.

If you are wondering what a search method is, it is a process or technique. It is “how” you go about researching a topic. Typically you will have criteria (a way of

measuring what you find to determine if it is relevant) and you will have search terms (which are specific references to dates, places, events, people, concepts,

authors, etc., that can be used in a search engine). A search method might include examining a wide variety of databases, it might including using the bibliographies

in books and articles to find more sources. It might include restricting yourself to peer reviewed journal articles, etc. No matter what paper or what topic, you will

always be using some method for searching for the information you need.

Then go to the APUS online library and conduct a search for articles in peer-reviewed, academic journals or books about your topic. You can access the Library from the

Classroom by selecting Library on the left vertical toolbar. Navigate the online databases and conduct a search based on keywords relating to your topic.

Choose two articles pertinent to your topic and provide a citation for these articles using Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style citation format. Refer to the Turabian

Quick guide in this week’s Lessons.

On every paper that you write for this school, you will include the title, your name, course name and number, instructor name, university name, and date. On your final

paper you will provide a cover sheet with this pertinent information. Missing elements will limit your grade.

The submission will be based on the following rubric:

1) Research Question (25 pts)

2) Background Description (25 pts)

3) Search Criteria (25 pts)

4) Listing of Two Relevant Sources (25 pts)

So, how do you find a question in a topic that interests you? Researchers can begin with a question that others want to answer. Why did X country attack Y country

(when the answer is not self-evident)? Or, one could formulate a question that adds to an existing body of knowledge. For example: How has the line of succession to

the North Korean presidency influenced the level of militarism in North Korea? In this class you will be able to pick a topic appropriate to Intelligence studies, so

think about these ideas, based loosely on some ideas in Turabian, A Manual for Writers:

You could pick a topic you already know something about and build on that knowledge over the course of this class, preparing you to write a research paper in another

class.

You could pick a topic about something that you would like to know more about. It could be a country, event, person, or group, for example.

You could pick an issue that is debatable within the homeland security field about which you cannot speak with sufficient knowledge.

You could pick an issue that people outside the homeland security field misunderstand or debate, like the importance of transparency in a democracy when intelligence

analysis and collection is based on secrecy, for example.

You could pick a topic area on which you intend to focus, so your research will deepen your understanding and prepare you for other coursework. For example, if you are

interested in domestic terrorism, you might consider framing a question about the role of education, culture and demographics on an individual’s motives.

Or, you could pick a topic that is related to your present job or work that you would like to do. Knowledge for its own sake is all good, but getting your dream job

because you have done your research is doubly rewarding (Turabian 2007, 14).
Once you have found a topic, how do you formulate a research question? A good research question must be clear, focused, concise, complex and arguable. These elements

are essential because the question provides the �path� for searching for information that will lead to an eventual conclusion.

Follow these steps to develop a research question:

Choose an interesting topic or one that serves you, as discussed above, and draft some preliminary questions.

Next, do some preliminary reading to see if the question has already been answered, if there is sufficient information on the topic, or if another more pertinent

question is raised from what you read in academic journals and books about your topic question.

Refine your question and submit it to the �so what� test. Will the answer to it make a contribution to knowledge in that issue area? Will the answer advance your own

depth of knowledge?
Once you have drafted a question, you should test it against these criteria:

Is your research question clear? With so much information on most topics, it is important that your question is focused and clear, not overly wordy or complicated.

Is your question complex enough that there is not a simple �yes� or �no� answer to it?

Is your question researchable? Are you able to find information in peer-reviewed academic journals and books about your topic?

Once you have come up with a research question, you will need to begin preliminary research, or develop a research strategy, part of the research planning process.

research diagram

Source of diagram:http://www.clark.edu/Library/iris/types/research_process/research_process_p3.shtml

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Establish the main topics or themes in your research question. For example, if your topic focused on the role of social media in the proliferation of demonstrations in

the Arab Spring events, for example, you might choose: �Arab Spring� and �Demonstrations.�

Next, develop a search strategy by combining your keywords in a Boolean search. You will then get a more refined series of articles that make your research more

focused.

It is best to start out with a broad search with a few keywords. If you get too many results that are unfocused, try adding more specific terms. In the Arab Spring

example, you might add the keyword �social media� or �email.�

Most catalogs and databases let you combine keywords using Boolean operators.

Check the help for the APUS online library database you are using, to find out how to use Boolean operators.

They may look something like the screen shot below:

search function
Or you may need to select them from drop-down menus:

drop-down menu

Search for an exact phrase by using quotation marks, For example: “Arab Spring.”

For more on Boolean operators, please access this short You Tube video: http://youtu.be/YlghuxGjHok

For this week’s assignments, you will need to conduct a library search for material related to your research question and provide properly formatted citations for

them. A copy of the Turabian Citation Quick Guide is provided in your Lessons Folder.

References:

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