2. Topic and Research Question

Contents

What are research questions for?

The research question is a central component of the thesis and influences all essential steps in the writing process. It serves to define the research topic and interest as precisely as possible. This is why it is included at the beginning of the thesis in the introduction. Usually, these are complexes of questions, consisting of the main question(s) and related subordinate questions.

The question is answered in the main part of the paper, e.g. by analyzing and discussing primary sources, including specialist literature and your own arguments. A research question helps with:

Refining aspects of the chosen topic for the research,
Narrowing down the methodology, sources and relevant literature,
Providing orientation in the writing process,
Ensuring the scholarly nature of the argumentation.

However:

Research topics or research questions that are too broad, such as “How has music developed since antiquity?” cannot be answered according to the criteria of scholarly rigor. The discussion of the relevant research literature (“discursivity”) alone would often exceed the scope of a seminar paper or thesis. Moreover, questions can be continued indefinitely through follow-up questions. Again, scholarly rigor is not secured in answering these questions.

Questions that are too narrowly focused, such as pure yes/no questions or factual questions (e.g. “When did Ethel Smyth live?”) can be answered in line with the criteria of scholarly rigor. However, it will be difficult to achieve the required number of pages for seminar papers or theses.

Bad questions – some examples

One topic – three questions

A good research question is one that can be answered with scholarly rigor within the given framework (time, number of pages).

The ability to recognize good or bad questions depends very much on writing experience. Therefore, if in doubt, always consult your supervisor!

Getting from the research topic to the research question

The following steps demonstrate how a general initial topic (here: “The opera buffa”) can be developed into a specific research question for a seminar paper of approximately 12–15 pages.

(1) Research

The starting point for developing a research question is the topic of the thesis, which has been agreed upon with the supervisor (here: “The opera buffa”). The first step is always to research the topic thoroughly and as early as possible. At the end of the research, you should have a good overview of the current state of research. You should also have already identified certain topics that you find particularly interesting.

(2) Types of questions

Even if research questions always depend closely on the respective topic and can often be answered in different ways, there are some common question types. These can help to specify and structure the approach to the topic.

Type	Question	Example
Description	How did something happen? What kind of development has taken place?	How did opera buffa originate? How did opera buffa develop in the 20th century?
Comparison	What is the difference between phenomenon A and phenomenon B? To what extent are phenomenon A and phenomenon B similar?	How does the opera buffa relate to the opéra-comique?
Evaluation/Criticism	How should source A be evaluated in the context of phenomenon B?	What characteristics distinguish Mozart's Da Ponte operas from his other opere buffe?
Explanation	Why did phenomenon A take place? Why is phenomenon A different from phenomenon B?	Why are there hardly any German-language opere buffe?

(3) Delimitation

The initial topic is often too wide to be dealt with adequately. It is therefore usually necessary to narrow down the topic and question as sensibly as possible. A “topic pyramid” can be helpful here:

(4) Formulation

In the next step, the topic and research question are formulated in four steps. These form the basic framework for the introduction to the thesis:

Justification of relevance (“Why am I writing this paper?”)
Precise topic (“What am I writing about?”)
Research interest (“What do I want to know?”)
Methodology, approach (“How do I proceed?”)

A possible introduction to the example topic “Ensemble numbers in 18th century opera buffa using the example of Mozart’s Così fan tute” could be formulated as follows (the numbers in brackets only serve to illustrate the individual steps):

(1.) The emergence of ensemble numbers in the 18th century marks an important developmental stage in the history of opera. These developments are reflected in particular in Wolfgang A. Mozart, whose three-, four- and five-part ensemble movements created a new and multi-layered form of musico-dramatic expression. (2.) In the following thesis, the ensemble numbers in 18th century opera buffa will be examined using the example of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. (3.) Two central questions will be addressed: At what points in the opera’s plot does Mozart use ensembles? How does he treat the different voice parts compositionally? (4.) To answer these questions, the ensemble numbers will be analyzed on the basis of the musical text and the libretto, both in terms of their significance for the plot and in terms of compositional technique.

If required: (5) Adaptation

During the writing process, it often turns out that the topic and research question are too narrow or too broad. The initial question must then be adapted accordingly, for example by omitting certain aspects or using a case study. It may also be necessary to carry out new research if the specialist literature reviewed so far does not help to answer the question. It is therefore advisable to keep the following self-check questions in mind:

Is the research question clear, unambiguous and comprehensible? Can I conclusively justify why this topic is important and why the approach makes sense?
Am I able to answer the research question within the given framework and according to scholarly criteria?
Have my topic and my research question already been dealt with in this or a similar way in the specialist literature?
What information do I need to answer my research question? Do the analyzed case studies or primary sources contribute to this?
Do the terms used require explanation? Which assumptions have already been (unconsciously) incorporated into the research question?