Matt Upson
Matt Upson
Contact:
Professor
Research & Learning Engagement Librarian
306 Edmon Low Library
Stillwater, OK 74078
matthew.upson@okstate.edu
Research & Learning Engagement Librarian
306 Edmon Low Library
Stillwater, OK 74078
matthew.upson@okstate.edu
405-744-9755
Contact Us
It's All About the Questions - Video
It's All About the Questions - Questions
- The decisions we face often come in the form of yes-or-no questions: "Should marijuana be legalized?" But in answering these questions, more questions arise: "How does the legalization of marijuana affect violent crime, the economy, public health, or any number of issues (or topics)?" A simple question can, then, lead to many complex questions like branches on a tree—that’s the nature of research! What is a decision you or your community faces that requires a yes-or-no answer? What additional questions arise?
- It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you start to think about all of the questions that can come from even simple yes-or-no questions. But this is where you come in. Focusing on your own interests and experiences, how can you narrow your questions to a set of closely-related questions? Can you write a question that brings all of these together?
- You can imagine the conclusions one reaches in making a decision will depend, in part, on the questions they choose to ask. For example, someone asking questions about economics might reach a different conclusion about the legalization of marijuana than someone asking about public health. How, then, do research questions reflect personal and/or cultural values?
- Like a “reboot” of a popular movie, researchers often revisit ideas with new information, resources, technology at different times and in different cultural settings. Imagine a research question, then consider how someone at a different time or culture with access to new information might ask the same question. What variables might affect the question?