Mariana Hidalgo

10/5/16

Activity #1: Preliminary Research Questions

One of the most important skills you will gain in this course is the ability to research.
This skill, for which you already have much practice, can become quite daunting.
Remember, research starts broad and becomes more focused as it continues, and you
can expect some confusion in the beginning as disparate and seemingly unrelated
information pops up.
However, continuing the research will provide you with an understanding that no one
else will have. Once you understand the various positions that can be taken
concerning your questions, you can then decide which area seems most promising to
research further.
Research questions are an initial step in the research process because they allow you
to take a closer, more specific look at your overall topic. The goal is to eventually focus
your research on
a very specific aspect of your topic that you can work with in your next project, the
Documentary Film. Developing focused and unbiased questions at this stage in the
process will help you get there. Research questions take on two forms: the preliminary
and the focused.
Preliminary Research Questions
The first type of research and research questions are preliminary and often very broad
because many of you do not yet know very much about your topics. This first set of
preliminary research questions is meant to help you develop an understanding of the
topic and the important conditions that exist within it. In your attempts to answer these
basic research question you will inevitably begin to discover more about your topics,
which will then allow you to move on to the second type of research questions, which
will ultimately become the questions you will use in your Literature Review.
Here are some examples of preliminary research questions:

What is cyberbullying?
How common is it?
What are people doing about it?

As you can see, these questions are very big and very broad, but they will help you to
understand your topics better, which will in turn allow you to enter into the
conversation with more ethos, or credibility. Remember, the preliminary research
questions are rarely the research questions you will ask in your literature review.
Instead, they are intended to help you learn enough about your topic so that you know
what questions/directions will best serve your intent.
To develop more specific and meaningful questions, consider what questions
experts have about your topic as well as what other ask about it. For example, what
questions would psychologists, teenagers, parents, or school administrators have
about cyber bulling?
You will also want to consider subtopics that will help you generate productive
questions. For example, what are the different causes of cyberbullying? Is
cyberbullying the same as bullying on the playground or in school? W hat laws deal
with cyberbullying?

Mariana Hidalgo
10/5/16
Either on the discussion board of Blackboard or on a W ord Document, answer the
following questions:
1. What do I already know about this topic?
-

More prevalent than what the public knows.

2. W here did I get this information?

-

I gathered the information from articles.

3. Why do I believe it or what is my bias?

-

I believe it is more prevalent because more victims are coming forward.

4. What are the experts saying about this topic?

-

It is a big problem that needs to be addressed not only in a public setting but
also in law enforcement.

5. What are others saying about this topic?

-

They agree that is a topic that has to be addressed but dont know how to
pursue the problem.

6. What are the subtopics that develop an understanding of this topic?

-

The effects on women involved in domestic violence

Psychological abuse
Physical abuse

7. What subtopic is most interesting to you?

-

The effects on women involved in domestic violence

8. What subtopic has been researched best?

Physical abuse on women

Mariana Hidalgo
10/5/16

Activity #2: Def ining Areas f or I nquiry

The lit review questions guide the research you will conduct and are, therefore, one of
the most important aspects of the literature review. Generally there are two phases of
research. The first phase, which you have begun in Activity 1 requires that you learn
about your topic in a general way-what it really means, what people say, how important
people think about it, how old/new is the issue, and so on, The second phase requires
that you answer your literature review questions.
This activity is designed to help you focus your topic and find the literature review
questions that will provide the most important information. The information you
provide here is part of phase one research but since there is no real line between the
two phases, this information should
also lead you into phase two research. On a W ord Document or in the Discussion Board
of
Blackboard, answer the following questions.
1. What is your topic?
Domestic violence
2. What do you know about your topic and where did this information come from?
I know that it is a big issue still happening in the US. The information came from law
enforcement sites and articles.
3. Who will/can be affected by this issue?
1. Would townspeople be affected by the issue of domestic violence? (Civic
Issue)-Townspeople would be affected by the issue of domestic violence, especially
in small, close communities where people know everyone around them.
2. Would a nation of people be affected by the research into the issue of domestic
violence? (National Issue)- Yes, domestic violence is not just a state/local problem, it
is a national problem that needs to be addressed.
3. Would the issue of domestic violence affect anything to do
with health? (Medical Issue)- Yes, this issue is dealing mainly
with the health of abused women who are the victims of domestic
violence. This topic will attempt to address this issue in greater
detail.
.
4. What is/are the controversies surrounding this issue?
Does everyone agree that it really is an issue?
Yes, domestic violence is usually agreed on as a whole to be a big issue.
5. How important is the issue?
Does everyone agree on the importance of the issue? Yes, as more and more
victims come forward alleging to be victims of domestic violence, there has been
more public outcry for research to be done into this issue.
6. W hat can be done about it?
-When dealing with the issue of domestic violence, the best solution that seems to be prevalent would
be public education into the issue. By educating the public on the signs, and effects of domestic
violence, the audience will get a better understanding of how to approach this issue if they encounter it
and possible solutions they can provide a potential victim.

Mariana Hidalgo
10/5/16

Activity #3: Generating Research Ques tions f or Approval

Using the information you generated in Activities 1 and 2, develop four research
questions. Your questions must be submitted to your instructor for a grade and
approval. You are unable to continue with this assignment until approval has
been given.
The types of questions you may choose from are listed below. Remember to form
complete sentences, and make your wording clear, concise, and unbiased. Once you
have created the questions, label them according to what type they are.

Questions
Questions
Questions
Questions
Questions
Questions

of Fact
of Definition
of Interpretation
of Consequence
of Value
of Policy

List them here:

1. What is the definition of domestic violence? (Question of Definition)
2. What effect will it have on the public if the issue of domestic violence is not properly analyzed
and potential solutions are not provided to the public through this research? (Question of
Consequence).
3. What are the statistics surrounding the issue of domestic violence? (Question of Fact).
4. What are the current policies in place across the nation surrounding the issue of domestic
violence? (Question of Policy).
Once you have created your initial questions, you must determine if the questions are
objective and unbiased. Remember, your goal in the Literature Review/Primary
Research Report is not to pick which side of the issue you agree with; instead, you
must create questions that will allow you to compile quality research on multiple sides
of the issue.
Answer the following questions to review the effectiveness of your initial questions.
W ord choic e: Does each question contain terminology that allows for an overall
examination of the issue? Or, does the word choice clearly identify and support only
one side of the issue? Explain your answers and revise your questions if necessary.
Res earch Viability: Does each question allow for a full examination of the issue,
providing you with ways to discover various factors, motives, results, etc.? Or do the
questions steer you toward only one possible outcome, thereby limiting your
research? Explain your answers and revise your questions if necessary.