The research question is not simply researching a topic, such as "Skateboarding?", because you can simply finding information on skateboarding, skateboards, skateboarders… take notes, and then rearrange the information into a final project. You can do all this with very little of your mind engaged.

No…a research question is a challenge. A question, like "Why is skateboarding considered a crime in some places?", would challenge you to think about how to answer the question. You could not simply find a book and take notes, but have to be creative about finding information. You might find articles on the subject, survey, interview, and then you would have to develop your own opinions, backing them up with your research.

First, have more than one question in mind, because chances are, Mr. L. will challenge you on your choice of questions. Choosing the right question for you is a very important step, for you will be working on it for most of the course. Too difficult a question means you will be very frustrated in your research; too easy a question means you will not have achieved something worthwhile and will probably be bored.

Second, when choosing a question, think about what interests you. The first step in your research process is the Proposal, where you try to determine which of your interests might be good for research. If the thought of finding out more about your chosen topic does not appeal to you, then you are in for a difficult 13 weeks. How terrible for you if you end up being bored because you did not put the time and energy into choosing something that is of true interest to you. You are being given an opportunity to work on a topic that interests you…why waste it.