Focused questions are easier to research and easier to write about. For this paper you will use
the issue you wrote about in paper #1, but you will look closely at a focused question, predict an
answer, conduct research into the question and come as close as possible to finding an answer.
First, some examples and some practice:
Example #1: Broad/general question: What causes violence?
This question is difficult to answer because there are many, many different types of
violence, so to try to figure out what causes violence in general would be very
difficult. An easier question to ask might limit the group of people or type of violence, or
might look at a specific location or point in time.
Some examples of focused questions on violence are:
How does poverty figure into domestic violence?
What are some reasons veterans returning from war might turn to violence?
Does the number of incidences of violence changed since Mayor DeBlasio took
office?
Which president had the lowest violent crimes reported during their
administration?
Is there a culture of violence in lower-income areas of New York City?
Example #2: Broad/general question: How do children learn to read?
This question is difficult to answer because there are many factors that influence the way
a child learns to read. It would be a very long, detailed paper.
Some examples of focused questions on learning to read are:
How do beginning readers use paragraphs to follow a story line?
How does the speed at which children read influence their understanding of the
reading?
How do illustrations help children understand what they read?
Does it matter if a child is read to at bedtime?
In order to take a general question and make it more focused, try to add a limiting
qualifier. For instance, a specific range of time, a specific group of people, or a specific
element of your question that will limit your research.
Practice on your own:
Choose one of these broad questions and come up with two focused questions that would be
more specific, and therefore easier to research.
Broad/general question: How has feminism changed society?
Focused questions:
Broad/general question: How has computer technology changed society?
Focused questions:
Your own question
Now consider something you want to know about your issue of public concern from paper

1 and come up with at least 2 focused questions that you can research.

**I advise you to stay away from questions that ask why something is the way it is. Your
research will result in many different opinions and make it hard for you to find a clear answer to
your question.
Something I want to know about my issue of _________________________ is:
A focused question on this topic is:
Another focused question on this topic is

Sample Solution