Many good questions are asked in writing consultations. To the question "How do I actually get to the research question of my paper?" Theresa, a trained writing peer tutor since 2016 and project collaborator of the Writing Center, gives a first answer:

The research question is the guiding question of your paper. It is usually formulated as an actual question. The path to the question can best be understood by looking at the research cycle:

© own representation

First, you should familiarize yourself with the topic of your thesis and the current state of research. When familiarizing yourself with the topic, you should pay specific attention to possible research gaps. A research gap is an aspect of the state of research that has not been (sufficiently) taken into account: For example, there are no observations on this or that point, or a new data basis or a different perspective are a reason for renewed discussion. From the research gap you can derive a question under which you want to deal with your topic.

Finally, the "three-step" method can help you to generate a (first) question. You can see how the method works in our handout on the three-step exercise (PDF) and try it out with us in the writing consultation. And please remember: Like your topic, your research question may need to be narrowed down.

Would you like to discuss your research gap and your research question, would you like further assistance in formulating it, or do you have completely different questions to which you are looking for answers? Then just come to our writing consultation! For more information, please visit our Writing Consultation webpage.

This post appeared on the occasion of the first Writing Center Newsletter in December 2021. This and other newsletter issues are linked in the Writing Center Newsletter Archive.

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​The Writing Center of the TU Dresden (SZD) supports students and lecturers with offers for planning and writing various texts in studies such as vouchers, protocols, seminar papers and theses and for teaching academic writing in teaching and supervision. All information about offers and possibilities of support can be found in the areas for students and lecturers.

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