Central question and sub-questions
Central question
Almost all papers you write during your studies have a central question. (Essays are an exception. More information about this in chapter 11.) In your paper, you answer this question and report on your research. Researchers often adjust their central question a number of times as they explore their research topic more extensively.
Academic motivation
You have noticed that a lot of research has been done into the role of urban agriculture in North American cities and you want to find out the extent to which these results apply to Dutch cities.
Practical motivation
You have read a newspaper article about the fact that there is increasing resistance to the installation of parking and charging spaces for electric cars. You decide to research which actors and interests play a role in choosing the location for these parking spaces.
- focuses on a socio-geographic or spatial planning perspective.
- cannot be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
- is not suggestive, but neutral.
- is well formulated and cannot be interpreted in different ways.
- can be answered under the given circumstances (amount of time and money you have, available data and the possibilities to collect/access data).
- states, if necessary, a specific time period (for example, if you are charting developments: ‘the different uses of the Griftpark since 2000’).
Formulating sub-questions
Once you have formulated the central question, you need to work out the sub-questions. These always relate to a subtopic of the central theme. They are specific, and therefore come under the overarching central question. Their role is to support the central question. Thinking about your sub-questions helps you split the work into feasible intermediate goals. By answering the sub-questions step-by-step, you will eventually be able to answer the central question. Below are some examples of sub-questions based on a central question.