BADKE’S RESEARCH QUESTION SNAFUS
Which Is Your Poison? (Answer: None,
Hopefully)
GOOD RESEARCH QUESTIONS…
Are notably narrow in focus
Are action-oriented, goal-driven, and
research-inspiring
Are largely selfless and empathic—you do this
for the world’s benefit as much as your own
Center on the how and the why over the what
and the who
AND THE BAD…?
Miss the Mark. Let us count the ways…
THE ARROW THAT ISN’T THERE
THE BLUNT ARROW
THE TRIDENT (OR FORK)
THE FUZZY TIP
THE “SHIV”
PLAGIARISM
WERE YOU LISTENING?
Of what Badke error is the following
research question guilty?
What is the connection between the
Prohibition movement and the Suffrage
movement? Did Prohibition make alcoholism
worse in America, and if so, how?
+ RQ / Δ RQ ?
What are the implications of
human cloning for our
definition of a “person?”
Of which Badke error is the following
research question?
Does our posture affect how we feel
about ourselves?
Of which Badke error is the following research
question?
When is a satire go too far in terms of critiquing
society on serious issues, or is it just a way for
racists and bigots to keep getting away with their
prejudices, including a disclaimer at the
beginning?
+ RQ / ΔRQ
What is the best approach to
reducing homelessness in an
urban setting?
Of which Badke error is the following
research question?
How do literary devices work in
Dostoevsky’s novel The Brothers
Karamazov?
+ RQ / ΔRQ
How might a child’s ability or
inability to participate in regular
imaginative play affect his/her
critical problem-solving skills later
in life?
+ RQ / ΔRQ
If [Michael] Chandler is correct that
adolescent suicide is linked to loss of
persistent identity over time, can the
increasingly disruptive nature of modern
life be a factor in the growth of teenage
suicide?
+ RQ / ΔRQ
Who was the real John Brown?
+ RQ / ΔRQ
What were the political and social
reasons for creating Atlantic City?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Badke, William. Research Strategies (2nd Edition). iUniverse:
New York, 2004.
Chandler, M.J et al. (2003). Personal Persistence, Identity, and Suicide: A
Study of Native and Non-
Native North American Adolescents. Monographs for the Society of
Research in Child
Development, Vol. 68, No. 2. Available at: www.ccyp.wa.gov.au
www.diabetesmine.com (image)
www.jillclarkspeaks.com (image)
“Sample Research Questions.” Columbia University.
Available at: www.columbia.edu/itc/psychology/H2