1.1 Identifying a problem or issue and developing a question about it

Your AP Research question shapes the work you will do for the next 8 to 9 months, so it needs to be focused, feasible, and grounded in a real problem or scholarly conversation. Start with an area you genuinely care about, then narrow it into a question that can be researched with the time, sources, and methods available to you.

Your AP Research topic should be something you can stay curious about across a long independent project.

Start by thinking about your own interests. Norse mythology may pull in one student, while artificial intelligence may pull in another. Whatever your topic, make sure you have a genuine reason to keep working with it.

In this section, we'll find a general topic through personal interests and passion for certain subject fields. But, before we settle on a topic, we need to make sure there is a diverse range of perspectives on the issue. 

For example, there's probably not a diverse range of perspectives on the nutritional value of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich... but you may want to research the declining nutritional value of school lunches (that is, if you're interested 😅).

🥳 Action item: Brainstorm some fields you're interested in! They can be as specific or general as you want, there's time to refine them ---> Asking questions can lead to the uncovering of connections that can spark further curiosity or understanding and give rise to more questions.

😱 DISCLAIMER: You'll have to conduct independent research, and if you're collecting data yourself, it has to be FEASIBLE. Spending thousands of dollars on an AP Research project will NOT guarantee a 5, nor will it disqualify you. So, buying a particle accelerator to see if you can create another Barry Allen is probably not the best idea. 

Image courtesy of GIPHY

For your research to be meaningful, you have to contribute to the overall existing body of literature. When you finally settle on a field/topic, your research must address a gap. 

🥳 Now's a good time to figure out your purpose. What do you want to do with your research? Explain? Explore? Create?

Now that you've figured out your purpose, you can more clearly define the direction your research is going by formulating a research question. 

You may:

• Offer a practical solution
• Offer a theoretical solution
• Challenge existing ideas
• Extend an existing idea
• Interpret existing data

and more... The scope of AP Research is not super defined, so as long as your question is focused and your method is sound and fits that question, you have a lot of freedom! However, you should be able to easily define HOW you're contributing to the scholarly community's existing body of knowledge. 

Here are some good research questions:

• To what extent does parental involvement impact a child's academic success?
• How does the use of technology in the classroom affect student learning outcomes?
• What are the effects of different teaching methods on student engagement in math classes?
• How does parental socioeconomic status affect a child's access to extracurricular activities?

These research topics all contribute to the body of educational knowledge and with well-supported results, could benefit a large body of people. You'll go through tons of revisions before you have a succinct, clear, and testable research question but remember to make sure it's within your time and money range! 

Now, onto 1.2, where you'll strengthen your understanding of your research question and develop a contextual understanding of that field! Good luck, you've got this! 😊