Page 37 - PPW (Paper Proposal Writing)

This question involves no research or creative Here you are clearly taking a side on this issue,
thought. and your research will provide reasons why it
should be taught. You would use appropriate
literature to provide support for your position.

Example 2
BAD GOOD

How does television influence viewers? How does viewing of cartoons on TV by children
under 2 affect their cognitive development?

PROBLEM: These questions are too broad or SOLUTION: Reword so that questions are
vague. focused and more defined.

Readers might ask: “How does television Here you’ve focused on a more specific group,
influence what viewers? What do you mean by young children, and you’ve also defined what
influence?” you mean by influence.

How are people motivated? How do teachers motivate students through
positive reinforcement and how does this affect
This question is too broad. What people are you their academic performance?
referring to? Colleagues, teenagers, athletes,
the elderly? Motivated in what ways? It could be This helps narrow the focus to teachers and
positive or negative reinforcement, it could be positive reinforcement and allows for the results
through team leadership, etc. to be examined through their academic
performance.

Example 3
BAD GOOD

Is fast food harmful to the human body? Is there any relationship between fast food
consumption and the prevalence of obesity in
high school students?

PROBLEM: This question can be answered with SOLUTION: Reword the topic to elicit more
a simple yes or no. than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

This type of question has an obvious answer Here you’ve focused on a more specific group,
which can be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or you are no longer asking a yes or no question.
‘no’. Your research will further provide reasons for
the relationship between those two variables.

Taken from: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/tutorials/question

Paper Proposal Writing 29