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VCE History - Revolutions: Russia 1896 - 26 October 1917: Developing a Research Question

Tips for developing a research question

Tips for Developing a Research Question

  • Be Specific: Avoid vague terms and ensure the question is clear.
  • Be Researchable: Ensure there are enough resources and data available to answer the question. If you are having trouble finding information, you may need to adapt your research question.
  • Be Realistic: Consider the time, resources, and scope of your research. Work with what you already have.

Here's a framework to help you develop a research question, with examples related to the American Revolution and the Russian Revolution:

Framework for Developing a Research Question

  1. Identify a Broad Topic: Start with a general area of interest.
  2. Hone your focus: Identify focus areas within the Broad Topic context and identify gaps in existing research.
  3. Narrow Down the Topic: Focus on a specific aspect of the broad topic.
  4. Clearly express your Research Question: Develop a clear, focused, and researchable question.

Examples of Good Research Questions

American Revolution

  1. Broad Topic: Causes of the American Revolution

    • Hone your focus: Investigate economic factors that lead to revolution.
    • Narrow Down: Focus on British economic factors.
    • Research Question: "How did the British tax revenue acts contribute to the causes of the American Revolution?"
       

  2. Broad Topic: Consequences of the American Revolution

    • Hone your focus: Explore political, social, and economic impacts.
    • Narrow Down: Focus on the political impact, specifically the formulation of the Constitution
    • Research Question: "In what ways did the American Revolution influence the development of the United States Constitution?"

Russian Revolution

  1. Broad Topic: Causes of the Russian Revolution

    • Hone your focus: Examine events and conditions that contributed to the outbreak of revolution  
    • Narrow Down: Focus on the impact of World War I.
    • Research Question: "In what ways did World War I contribute to the outbreak of the Russian Revolution?"
       

  2. Broad Topic: Consequences of the Russian Revolution

    • Hone your focus: Examine the revolutionary experiences of diverse social groups following the revolution
    • Narrow Down: Focus on changes to everyday life for workers
    • Research Question: "What challenges and changes did workers experience in their daily life, as a result of the Russian Revolution?"

Source: Microsoft CoPilot (2024). CoPilot response to A. Isma, 26 February

Types of Research Questions

Research questions show a relationship between ideas, concepts or factors.

They go beyond describing or listing facts, and cause you to demonstrate your understanding of how ideas relate to each other. 

Types of Research Questions

  1. Comparative Questions: These questions compare two or more phenomena.

    • Structure: "How does [phenomenon] compare to [phenomenon]?"

  2. Causal Questions: These questions investigate the cause-and-effect relationship between factors.

    • Structure: "What is the effect of [cause] on [effect]?"

  3. Evaluative Questions: These questions assess the effectiveness or impact of a phenomenon.

    • Structure: "How effective is [phenomenon] in achieving [outcome]?"

  4. Exploratory Questions: These questions explore new areas of research.

    • Structure: "What are the potential impacts of [phenomenon]?"

Examples

  • Comparative: "How does the influence of George Washington compare to that of King George III in the lead up to the American Revolution?”

  • Causal: "What is the effect of vaccination on COVID infection rates?"

  • Evaluative: "How effective is exercise in reducing high blood pressure?"

  • Exploratory: "What are the potential impacts of social media bans on reducing cyber bullying amongst teenagers?"

 

Source: Microsoft CoPilot (2024) CoPilot response to A. Isma, 26 February.

 

 

Question Builder

Select from the table below to practice building research questions.

Can you think of additional question stems and verbs that work for your study topics?

Created using Canva (2025).

 

Question Starters

Use these sample structures to link ideas together into research questions.

  • Comparative: "How does [topic] compare to [topic]?"

  • Causal: "How did [event/action] create [phenomenon/situation]?"

  • Causal: "How did [factor/event] change [phenomenon/situation]?"

  • Causal: "What is/was the effect of [cause] on [phenomenon/situation]?"

  • Evaluative: "How important was [event/person] in achieiving [goal/outcome]?"

  • Evaluative: "How effective is/was [action] in achieving [goal/outcome]?"

  • Evaluative: "To what extent did [factor/event] affect [factor/situation]?"

  • Exploratory: "What are the potential impacts of [action] on [problem/situation]?"

  • Exploratory: "What will be the impact of [event/action] on [situation]?"