Conducting Research

Deva has decided to do a research project on how to improve attendance at museums in the United States.

Which research question would be best for this project?

• How many people visited museums last year?

• Which museum has the most inspirational artwork?

• Should admission to museums be free to the public?

Tyler is researching the benefits of playing sports in school.

Which secondary research question would be most useful for his research?

• How do students sign up to play sports?

• What social skills are built by playing sports?

• What sports are popular in the United States?

Julian is planning a research project on the history of technology.

Which primary question would be best to narrow down his topic?

• Which events led to the creation of the internet?

• How will social media change in the next ten years?

• How many computers are produced each year?

Kayla is working on a research project. Read her research question.

Should foreign language classes be required for middle school students?

Which secondary question would be most useful for her research?

• Which foreign languages are most popular with students?

• Do foreign language classes help students improve in other subjects?

• What foreign languages are taught to middle school students?

Dinesh is researching how the Olympics have changed over time.

Which secondary question would be most useful as he researches his topic?

• What is required to put on the Olympic Games today?

• Where were the last Olympic Games held?

• When will the next Olympic Games be held?

What is a disadvantage of using a nonfiction book as a source for research?

• The book could provide too many references.

• The information in the book may be out of date.

• The book might cite other sources as evidence.

Margot wants to research whether the United States should spend more money on education.

Which would be the best place for Margot to start her research?

• a website that provides free tutoring

• an article that explains the national budget

• a book that teaches study strategies

What is an advantage of using a website as a source of information?

• A website can be created by anyone with a computer.

• Students can quickly access a website for information.

• A website may have an agenda that the user is unaware of.

Karla is researching the pros and cons of raw food.

Which source would provide the most reliable information?

• an article in a periodical written by a food scientist

• a book by a chef with recipes using only fresh foods

• a social media post about starting a garden

What advantage does an encyclopedia have over a periodical as a source for research?

• An encyclopedia is a better source for background information.

• An encyclopedia is more likely to focus on a narrower topic.

• An encyclopedia is more likely to be updated frequently.