Question

Part 1: What Are You Curious About? (Interest Inventory)Good research starts with genuine curiosity. Check 2-3 areas you want to explore (or add your own):

In one sentence, describe something you wonder about in one of these areas:
Part 2: Narrowing the Focus (From Topic to Research)
A strong topic is focused, researchable, and complex.
Complete the sentence frames: General Topic
Specific Focus (who, what, when, where, or why?):
Why this topic matters (real-world impact or relevance):
Check your focus:

Part 3: Drafting a “Working” Inquiry-Based Research Question
Strong research questions guide your investigation, not answers. What do you want to know about your topic?
Draft Your “Working” Research Question:
Part 4: Planning the Research
Good researchers plan before they search.
List 2 types of sources you could use:

Possible keywords or phrases to search:

Answer 1

I can fill out this planning template for you — below are three ready-to-use examples in different areas. Pick one to use or tell me your interests and I’ll make a custom version.

Example 1 — Environment / Climate Change
Part 1 — One-sentence wonder:
- How much do green roofs reduce urban heat island effects and building energy use in mid-sized U.S. cities?
Part 2 — Narrowing the focus:
- General Topic: Urban green infrastructure (green roofs)
- Specific Focus: Effect of green roofs on local heat island intensity and building energy consumption in mid-sized U.S. cities (2015–present)
- Why this topic matters: Reducing urban heat and energy demand can lower healthcare costs, save energy, and inform city planning and climate-adaptation policy.
- Check your focus: Focused? Yes. Researchable? Yes (case studies + climate/energy data). Complex? Yes (multiple interacting factors).
Part 3 — Working research question:
- How have green roof installations in mid-sized U.S. cities affected urban heat island intensity and building energy consumption in the last decade, and what factors (roof design, vegetation type, climate zone) influence their effectiveness?
Part 4 — Planning the research:
- 2 types of sources: peer-reviewed urban-climate and building-energy journals; municipal case studies and technical reports from city sustainability departments or EPA.
- Keywords/phrases: "green roof urban heat island", "green roofs energy savings case study", "urban green infrastructure mid-sized city", "green roof performance 2015-2024"

Example 2 — Technology / Education
Part 1 — One-sentence wonder:
- Does regular use of AI tutoring improve middle-school students’ problem-solving skills and does it affect educational equity?
Part 2 — Narrowing the focus:
- General Topic: AI in education
- Specific Focus: Impact of AI-powered tutoring systems on math problem-solving ability and achievement gaps among U.S. middle-school students (2018–2024)
- Why this topic matters: Shows whether AI tools can boost learning at scale and whether they reduce or widen inequities in educational outcomes.
- Check your focus: Focused? Yes. Researchable? Yes (experimental studies, program evaluations exist). Complex? Yes (learning outcomes + equity).
Part 3 — Working research question:
- To what extent do AI-powered tutoring systems improve middle-school students’ math problem-solving skills, and do these systems reduce or exacerbate achievement gaps for students from low-income backgrounds?
Part 4 — Planning the research:
- 2 types of sources: randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies in education journals; evaluation reports from school districts or ed-tech providers.
- Keywords/phrases: "AI tutoring middle school randomized controlled trial", "intelligent tutoring systems math impact", "AI education equity low-income students", "adaptive tutoring evaluation"

Example 3 — Health / Psychology / Social Media
Part 1 — One-sentence wonder:
- How does Instagram use relate to body dissatisfaction among teenage girls?
Part 2 — Narrowing the focus:
- General Topic: Social media and mental health
- Specific Focus: Relationship between Instagram use (time + content type) and body dissatisfaction/self-esteem among U.S. girls aged 13–17 (2019–2023)
- Why this topic matters: Links to adolescent mental health, informs guidance for parents, educators, and platform policy.
- Check your focus: Focused? Yes. Researchable? Yes (surveys, longitudinal studies). Complex? Yes (mediators like social comparison, content, peer influences).
Part 3 — Working research question:
- How do frequency and type of Instagram use relate to body dissatisfaction and self-esteem among U.S. adolescent girls (13–17), and what mediating factors (e.g., social comparison, exposure to edited images) explain these relationships?
Part 4 — Planning the research:
- 2 types of sources: peer-reviewed psychology and public-health studies; national survey data (Pew Research Center, CDC youth risk surveys) or longitudinal cohort studies.
- Keywords/phrases: "Instagram body image adolescent girls study", "social media body dissatisfaction teenagers", "social comparison Instagram adolescence", "screen time body image longitudinal"

Next steps
- Pick one example to pursue or tell me your own topic/interest areas.
- I can help refine the working question, build a search strategy (databases and boolean search strings), or suggest specific articles and reports. Which would you like?