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Formulating a Research Question
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z58VBWXYzGg
This video provides a short discussion on how to formulate a research question. It uses the example of gun control to address how a general topic can be turned into a focused topic and subsequently into a research question.
http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/research-question.html
This resource offers a very good discussion of formulating a research question, along with some case studies and a short video of academics offering advice to students on how to develop a good research question. It addresses the crucial point of ensuring that the research question is manageable within the limited time students have to investigate it.
http://www.robertfeldt.net/advice/guide_to_creating_research_questions.pdf
This source outlines different types of questions (exploratory, base-rate, relationship, or solution focused), as well as sub-types. For instance, it demonstrates that an exploratory question that is focused on the existence of a phenomenon asks, ‘Does X exist?’, whereas an exploratory question that is descriptive asks, ‘What is X like?’, and an exploratory question that is comparative asks instead, ‘How does X differ from Y?’.
http://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/complex.html
This site is very useful in explaining fallacies that might enter into the formulation of research questions, such as complex questions, false causes, and begging another question (Petitio Principii). It devotes separate page for each fallacy and provides additional links.
Resources on Literature Reviews and Academic Writing
https://ch5983.wixsite.com/literaturereviewing
Dr Chris Hart’s website gives a lot of tips on searching for and reviewing academic literature. The ‘nickable stuff’ page also provides links to other resources on surveying literature and assessing different types of source as part of a literature review.
http://www.raulpacheco.org/resources/literature-reviews/
Dr Raul Pachego-Vega’s website has useful resources on planning and writing a literature review, and other tips on effective reading and note-taking. His site also contains many other resources on academic reading and writing.
https://thesiswhisperer.com/best-of-the-blog/
Dr Inger Mewbern’s website The Thesis Whisperer hosts a useful blog covering many topics, including many of specific relevance to doctoral researchers. The advice on writing, including writing literature reviews and giving presentations, will be useful for others too.
https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/literature-review
A useful guide to the purpose of literature reviews and how to approach them on the University of Leicester website. Gives examples of how to critique the articles/books you are reading.
https://libguides.uwf.edu/c.php?g=215199&p=1420520
This guide from the University of West Florida library gives more guidance on how to conduct and keep track of your literature searches.
https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview
This guide from the University of Southern California includes tips for structuring a literature review and getting your argument across (bringing out your own voice). Also includes guidance on what to critique in sources, and common mistakes people make in literature reviews.