The Investigation

Narrowing Down the topic &

Formulating the focus question/
guiding question
 Research Process
What you know
about a topic

Inquiry SOURCES

What others can

teach you

Conclusion
 Purpose of the Investigation

• It must examine a significant issue.

i.e. something that has a reasonable social impact

• It must address a knowledgeable reader and carry that

reader to a higher level of knowledge

• It must have a serious purpose, one that demands analysis

of the issues, argues from a position and explains
complex issues.

• You need to consider these aspects when you narrow

down the topic and formulate a focus question
 Tips on developing an issue
Step-by-step breakdown of choosing an issue:
1. Put down ideas/ thoughts
2. Have 2 -3 ideas for issues
3. Look for possible references
4. Stop, think, relax…. See what others are
doing or thinking about
5. Look at the alternatives
6. Narrow list of choices
7. Develop focus question
 The focus question or hypothesis
• A hypothesis is a carefully worded, untested
statement that provides the focus for an
investigation
• Eg. Genetically modified foods are
negatively impacting farming in Australia
• A focus question turns this into a question
which can be answered by the investigation
• Eg. Does genetically modified food have a
negative impact on farming in Australia?
• Try writing your issues/topics as hypotheses
and guiding questions:
…………………………………..
A really good issue should have at least 3
possible outcomes:

1. YES
2. NO
3. MAYBE/IF

Does your question have 3 possible outcomes?

If not , maybe your question is too limited or
specific – Try another question…
** The next step will be to check for resources
 Features of good focus questions
• Should reflect the significance of the topic from a
social perspective :
eg. Compare ‘What are the benefits of the
Internet?’ to ‘Is the Internet a positive influence on
youth?’
• Should be analytical ( problem-solving) or
argumentative
eg. Can the melting of polar ice-caps be arrested?
Should rapists be sentenced to death?
 Features of focus questions … continued
• A focus question should begin with the words ‘
Should’, ‘Is’, ‘Are’, ‘Can/Could’, ‘To what
extent’
• The question should be manageable and logical
eg. ‘Should Einstein be reincarnated?’
not very logical
‘Can global warming be stopped?’
not manageable – insufficient resources to
make this prediction, also may be too broad
 Features of focus questions….
• The focus question should not have an obvious
answer
Eg. ‘ Is heart disease a serious problem?’
‘Of course it is !’ you don’t need research to get this
answer
• The question must be ‘answerable’ or ‘measurable’
by your investigation
Eg. ‘ Can global warming be stopped?’ is not a
question that can be answered by one study
 Possible outcomes
• A good focus question should have 3 possible
outcomes:
1)Yes
2) No
3) Maybe or alternatives will be available.
Eg: Should public transport be free?
Yes, No, Subsidized.
 Exercise
Write a focus question for at least 2 of the
topics below then, see if they have 3 or more
possible outcomes.
1) Influence of the internet – chatting, social
networking sites, blogging.
2) Status of women in developing countries
3) The death penalty
4) Censorship and the media
 Possible answers
• Should blogging be encouraged?
• Are women in developing countries given
equal rights?
• When general questions are posed, it results in a
superficial report that does not allow a depth of
analysis.
• A question with a defined and narrow focus would
allow for a greater depth of inquiry and analysis.
• Questions such as ‘To what extent …’, or ‘How
important/significant/effective was …’ or ‘Do
you agree …?’ encourage the open ended
exploration of a topic.
 Are the following, good focus questions? If
yes, what are the possible aspects of
investigation and conclusions?
• What are the consequences of computer
addiction?
• Can air pollution be stopped?
• Is caffeine damaging to health?
• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Is bullying common in schools?
 To summarize..
Once you have a focus question/topic
1) Check that it fulfils the criteria mentioned
earlier
2) Start searching for reading material
3) Come up with a concept map/ outline of
key areas that you could include
4) Draw up a time plan for yourself ( optional)