Being able to form a clear and insightful research question is often something that history students underestimate the difficulty of. A good research question should have a clear command term, a narrow and conceptual focus, and contain an element of controversy or debate. Read through the following ideas and activities to help you start thinking about a possible research question:
1. Consider your Interests
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This can be hard to form but the best place to start is with your interests. Consider what period or topic from history really interests you. It might be something you have read about personally, something in the news, or something from your IBDP lessons. Then think about time, place, and space - where, when, who, what, and why? Initial thinking along these lines will help you to narrow down what you are actually interested in.
Next, narrow this down further by considering if any of the following elements could be related to your topic: events; situations; developments; individuals; policies etc. Try doing a brainstorm around your topic using these headings. Let your own interests guide you as you do this. Unpacking topics in this way can often throw up surprising events and situations that you may have bypassed before. The third thing you should do is to then consider what is significant, debated, or even controversial about your topic. Is there a particular aspect of the topic that still creates debate today? Does an aspect have contemporary relevance? Is it in the news? Or has it been under-reported or misrepresented in the past? Finding an aspect of a topic or a new angle that might elicit some form of debate is a great idea - you will have to integrate differing perspectives into your essay anyway, so don't make it hard for yourself! |
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2. Consider Command Terms
Whilst you don't need to explicitly put in command terms like 'evaluate' into your research question, you do need to implictly base your question upon some form of structural device or way of thinking. For example, consider the research question: 'To what extent were US and Soviet responses to the 1979 Iranian Revolution guided by similar attitudes to the Islamic world?' A tough and intriguing question! Clearly, this question is about comparing and contrasting - yet the question doesn't explicitly use those words. Having already thought about a possible topic, now consider how the following command terms might be used to structure your research question:
Command Term |
Definition |
Analyse |
Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure |
Compare |
Give an account of the similarities between two (or more) items or situations, refering to both (all) of them throughout |
Compare and Contrast |
Give an account of similarities and differences between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout |
Contrast |
Give an account of the differences between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout |
Discuss |
Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence |
Evaluate |
Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations |
Examine |
Consider an argument or concept in a way that uncovers the assumptions and interrelationships of the issue |
To what extent |
Consider the merits or otherwise of an argument or concept. Opinions and conclusions should be presented clearly and supported with appropriate evidence and sound argument |
3. Consider Key Concepts
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Exploring topics by thinking about key concepts is another way to come up with or refine your research question. Key concepts in history are like thinking devices we can use to help us analyse and evaluate events. In History, the key concepts are: Cause; Consequence; Change; Continuity; Perspectives; Significance.
As you have already explored in your studies, some questions ask you to evaluate the causes of an event or its consequences. Sometimes, you need to consider to what extent things have changed or stayed the same over time. Perspectives require us to consider why differing perspectives emerge, and what these differing viewpoints are based on. In almost every essay question there is an element of considering the wider significance of an event - however you could base a whole project on the significance of an event - why is it remembered? who remembers it? how do we consider how something is significant? |
4. Converting a Topic into a Research Question
Try putting all these ideas to the test. Consider the following topic ideas that students have come up with. For each one, convert the topic into a research question, considering what command words and key concepts each one could be based on:
Topic Idea |
Research Question |
Command Word |
Key Concept |
Collapse of the Egyptian Old Kingdom |
To what extent was weak leadership responsible for the collapse of the Egyptian Old Kingdom in 2125 BC? |
To what extent |
Significance: how important was weak leadership in relation to other causal factors? |
Bamberg Witch Trials (1623 – 1633) |
How significant were economic problems as a cause of the Bamberg Witch Trials (1623 – 1633)? |
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Stolypin’s agricultural reforms |
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The deaths of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu |
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Youth movements in the USSR |
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The experience of one individual during World War II |
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Castro's Cuba |
5. Rescue the Questions!
A bad research question often results in a bad essay. Bad questions are often too descriptive, lack debate, too big or broad, not historical enough, or too difficult to analyse. Try and avoid these faults as you re-write these flawed research questions:
Flawed Question |
Improved Question |
What were the causes of the Russian Revolution of November 1917? |
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How did technological developments cause 20th century wars? |
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What have been the consequences of the Romania’s accession to the European Union (2007)? |
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To what extent is ‘The Book Thief’ an accurate portrayal of life in Nazi Germany? |
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How did Mao control China? |
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How did art change under authoritarian regimes? |
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Was it morally correct for the USA to use atomic weapons in World War II? |
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How accurate is the movie ‘Tora Tora Tora’? |
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Was the experience of my Grandma in the Young Pioneers typical? |
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Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe in 1989? |
