Faculty Guide to Information Literacy Resources

Students may struggle with research projects even before they start finding information resources. 

The frame Research as Inquiry may help students who have questions such as:

• What is the purpose of research?
• How do I choose a topic?
• How do I create a good research question?

About Research Questions:

Research Questions should be:

• Clear: the audience can understand the purpose without needing more explanation
• Focused: the topic is narrow enough to be answered thoroughly in the space the task allows
• Complex:  not answerable with a simple yes or no- requires synthesis and analysis of ideas
• Arguable:  potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts

Fracking This is not a question, but a simple topic. It has no focus.

Does fracking impact the environment? This is a question but can be easily answered with a yes or no.

What is the environmental impact of fracking? This is a complex question, but only asks for a report of fact, it does not ask for a deeper analysis.

What are some of the most effective ways of protecting local groundwater from the wastewater produced by fracking? This complex question is narrow enough for a paper or presentation, asks for analysis and synthesis, and "most effective" invites debate over the best methods to use.

Please note that a research question and a thesis are NOT the same thing. A thesis is a proposed answer to a research question.

Video Tutorials:

Interactive Online Lessons:

Lessons and Activities:

Find more activities, lessons, and tutorials at: