6. Research question

After you have done some background reading and narrowed your focus, you should write your research question. As you know, it should probably begin with “Why” or “How”. The research question should be what you want to learn about the topic. The purpose of writing it now is simply to keep your mind focused while you do your research. It will ensure that you read and take notes only on information necessary for your essay. Later, it will also be useful when you write your thesis statement.