Research Question Formulation Worksheet
From a broad research idea to a clear, focused and defensible research question.
Turn a broad research interest into a focused, feasible and researchable question. This practical worksheet guides you through defining the research problem, narrowing your scope, evaluating feasibility and refining your final research question.
Open / download the PDF →A good research question is the foundation of a coherent research project.
This practical worksheet helps students, research scholars and independent researchers move from a broad topic of interest to a focused, feasible and defensible research question.
What you'll learn:
- How to identify and narrow a research topic.
- How to formulate a meaningful research problem.
- How to identify the population, context and key concepts.
- How to assess feasibility and researchability.
- How to draft, evaluate and refine your research question.
Format: Free, seven-page printable PDF.
Suitable for: Undergraduate students, postgraduate students, PhD scholars and early-career researchers.
How to use this worksheet
- Begin with a broad area of research interest.
- Work through the six guided stages in sequence.
- Use the examples to understand how broad topics become researchable questions.
- Write your preliminary research question and evaluate it using the final checklist.
- Refine your question before discussing it with your supervisor or research mentor.
Remember: A strong research question is not simply interesting. It must also be clear, relevant, feasible and capable of being investigated systematically.