from Mike Markel, "Table 6.1 > Research Questions and Methods," Technical Communication. 9th ed.
Type of question |
Example of question |
Research sources and tips |
| What is the theory behind this process or technique? | How do greenhouse gases contribute to global warming? |
Encyclopedias, handbooks,and [scholarly] journal articles present theory. Also, you can find theoretical information on Web sites from reputable professional organizations and universities. Search using keywords such as "greenhouse gases" and "global warming." |
| What is the history of this [problem]? | When and how did engineers first try to extract shale oil? |
Encyclopedias, handbooks, and books present history. Also, you can find historical information on Web sites from reputable professional organizations and universities. Search using keywords such as "shale oil" and "petroleum history." |
| What techniques are being used now to solve this problem? | How are companies responding to the federal government's new laws on health-insurance portability? |
If the topic is recent, you will have better luck using digital resources such as Web sites and social media than traditional print media. Search using keywords and tags such as "health-insurance portability." Your search will be most effective if you use standard terminology i your search, such as "HIPPA" for the health-insurance law. |
| How is a current situation expected to change? | What changes wil outsourcing cause in the computer-support industry over the next 10 to 20 years? | For long-range predictions, you can find information in journal articles and magazine articles and on reputable Web sites. Experts might write forecasts on discussion boards and blogs. |
| What products are available to perform a task or provide a service? | Which vendors are available to upgrade and maintain our company's Web site? | For current products and services, search Web sites, discussion boards, and blogs. Reputable vendors - manufacturers and service providers - have sites describing their offering. But be careful not to assume vendors' claims are accurate. Even the specifications they provide might be exaggerated. |
| What are the strengths and weaknesses of competing products and services? | Which portable GPS system is the lightest? | Search for benchmarking articles from experts in the field, such as a journal article - either in print or on the Web - about camping and outfitting that compares the available GPS systems according to reasonable criteria. Also check discussion boards for reviews and blogs for opinions. If appropriate, do field research to answer your questions. |
| Which product or service do experts recommend? | Which four wheel drive SUV offers the best combination of features and quality for our needs? | Experts write journal articles, magazine articles, and sometimes blogs. Often. they participate in discussion boards. Sometimes, you can interview them, in person or on the phone, or write inquiries. |
| What are the facts about how we do our jobs at this company? | Do our chemists use gas chromatography in their analyses? | Sometimes you can interview someone, in person or on the phone, to answer a simple question. To determine whether your chemists use a particular technique, start by asking someone in that department. |