A research question is your topic narrowed into something that can be studied, stated in the form of a question. It should be connected to the first part of your assignment.

• Example Research Question: Does parental divorce in America have an effect on the marital outcomes of their children in the future?
• Stated in the form of a question
• Avoids vague or ambiguous language
• Articulates a relationship between two central concepts
• Stated neutrally or contains an implicit hypothesis
• Research topic is based on white-collar crime
• Suggests a plausible research design