Writing Assignment: A Spark
At this point you are not married to your research topic yet. You are in the dating stages, and if things are not going well, you can look for a new topic or give this one another chance. The work you are doing in this assignment is like dating your topic. You are seeing if you like it and if there is enough substance to take this topic further.
This assignment will give you a little preview of how the project will go and give your instructor enough information to guide you toward successful discovery.
EXAMPLE
TopicVideo GamesMain (General) Discovery QuestionDoes playing violent video games lead to violent behavior?Focused Discovery QuestionsWhich video games are considered violent?How do psychologists study the relationship between violent behavior and influences?What is violent behavior?Specific Discovery QuestionsWhat kind of violence is portrayed in these games?Which demographic purchases or plays this game?What studies have been done on this subject?How can psychologists be sure that violence they observe is actually caused by games?Is the violent behavior anything to be concerned about, or is it minor violence?Are the violent behaviors exhibited immediately, or are they long term?Follow up QuestionWhat could/should be done about this if it really is a problem?