What's the secret to crafting a killer research question for historical research?

1 Choose a topic that interests you

The first step to crafting a killer research question is to choose a topic that interests you and that has some historical significance or controversy. You can draw inspiration from your personal experiences, hobbies, passions, or current events. For example, if you are interested in music, you could explore how different musical genres and styles emerged and influenced each other in different historical contexts. Or if you are curious about politics, you could examine how different political movements and ideologies shaped and were shaped by historical events and actors. The key is to choose a topic that motivates you to learn more and that has enough historical sources and evidence to support your research.

2 Do some background research

The next step to crafting a killer research question is to do some background research on your topic. This will help you to gain a general understanding of the historical context, the main debates and perspectives, and the gaps and limitations in the existing literature. You can use secondary sources, such as books, articles, reviews, and encyclopedias, to get an overview of your topic and to identify some key terms, concepts, and questions. You can also use primary sources, such as documents, letters, diaries, newspapers, speeches, images, and artifacts, to get a firsthand account of your topic and to discover some interesting details, stories, and perspectives. The goal is to find a specific aspect or angle of your topic that is intriguing, relevant, and feasible for your research.

3 Formulate a tentative research question

The final step to crafting a killer research question is to formulate a tentative research question based on your background research. A tentative research question is a preliminary question that expresses your main inquiry and that can be revised and refined as you conduct your research. A good research question should be clear, focused, open-ended, and arguable. It should not be too broad or too narrow, too simple or too complex, too factual or too opinionated. It should invite analysis, interpretation, comparison, evaluation, or explanation of historical sources and evidence. For example, instead of asking "What was the impact of the Beatles on the music industry?" which is too broad and factual, you could ask "How did the Beatles challenge and transform the conventions and expectations of the music industry in the 1960s?" which is more focused and open-ended.

4 Example research questions

Illustrating how to craft a killer research question for historical research, here are some examples of research questions on different topics and how they were developed from background research. For example, the Salem witch trials were influenced by religious, social, political, and economic factors, as well as by personal conflicts and fears. Thus, the research question is: How did the gender and social status of the accused and the accusers affect the outcomes of the Salem witch trials? Similarly, the French Revolution was sparked by the discontent of the common people with the monarchy, nobility, and clergy. Therefore, the research question is: How did the French Revolution affect the role and representation of women in politics and society? Lastly, during the Cold War there was a threat of nuclear war and a division of Europe. This led to a research question: How did the Cold War shape and challenge the identity and values of American youth in the 1950s and 1960s?

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?